title: Nabag (Zizyphus spina-christi) extract prevents aberrant crypt foci development in colons of azoxymethane-treated rats by abrogating oxidative stress and inducing apoptosis.
abstract: Zizyphus spina-christi (ZSC) fruit is a rich source of bioactive compounds but any medicinal properties in chemoprevention of colon cancer have hitherto not been studied. The aim of the present study was to examine in vivo protective effects of ZSC water extract on colon carcinogenesis in azoxymethane (AOM)-treated rats. Our results showed that ZSC significantly reduced AOM-induced colonic aberrant crypt foci development and AOM-induced oxidative stress as indicated by restoration of endogenous glutathione depletion and abrogating the impairment of total antioxidant capacity. Caspase-3 cleavage, which has been considered as an apoptotic index, was almost undetectable in AOM-treated rats and ZSC exhibited pro-apoptotic effects evidenced by increased levels of cleaved caspase-3. In the studied model, our findings provide the first in vivo evidence that ZSC extract could inhibit the early stage of colon carcinogenesis by preventing oxidative stress and inducing apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman E-mail : shafiur@squ.edu.om.
authors.forename: Nejib
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guizani
authors.forename: Mostafa Ibrahim
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Waly
authors.forename: Vandita
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Mohammad Shafiur
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Rahman
mesh_terms: D058739:Aberrant Crypt Foci / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001397:Azoxymethane / Q000633:toxicity; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005638:Fruit; D005978:Glutathione / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D031957:Ziziphus
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D010936:Plant Extracts; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D005978:Glutathione; D001397:Azoxymethane