Emblica officinalis and hepatocarcinogenesis: a chemopreventive study in Wistar rats.
BACKGROUND
Emblica officinalis L. commonly known as gooseberry, Phyllanthus emblica, Emblica, Indian gooseberry, amla is used in Indian system of medicine for the treatment of liver ailments.


OBJECTIVE
In the present study, we report that it ameliorates the carcinogenic response as it reverses the histopathological changes and reduces the number of gamma-GT-positive foci induced by Solt Farber protocol in the liver of Wistar rats.


METHODS
Tumors were induced by initiation with diethylnitrosoamine (DEN) (200 mg/kg body wt., i.p.) followed by promotion with 2-acetylaminoflourine (2-AAF) (0.02%, w/w in diet) for continuous 6 weeks and the animals were subjected to partial hepatectomy on day 21 of initiation.


RESULTS
Pretreatment with defatted methanolic fruit extract (100 and 200mg/kg b.w.) of Emblica officinalis showed significant partial recovery of pathological manifestations as compared to DEN and 2-AAF-treated group animals (p<0.001) and suppressed the tumor forming potential of 2-AAF (p<0.05) at both the doses.


CONCLUSIONS
Emblica officinalis has the potential to suppress carcinogen-induced response in rat liver.
Sultana
Sarwat
S
Section of Chemoprevention and Nutrition Toxicology, Department of Medical Elementology and Toxicology, Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi, India. sarwat786@rediffmail.com
Ahmed
Salahuddin
S
Jahangir
Tamanna
T
D015073:2-Acetylaminofluorene; D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005638:Fruit; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D029842:Phyllanthus emblica / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine; D015073:2-Acetylaminofluorene; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase