Cancare-a herbal formulation inhibits chemically induced tumours in experimental animals

• Published in: Indian journal of experimental biology Vol. 39; no. 7; p. 654
• Main Authors: Rajeshkumar, N V, Kuttan, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India 01.07.2001
• Subjects: Animals; Diethylnitrosamine - toxicity; Female; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental - chemically induced; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental - prevention & control; Methylcholanthrene - toxicity; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Neoplasms, Experimental - chemically induced; Neoplasms, Experimental - prevention & control; Phytotherapy; Plant Preparations - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sarcoma, Experimental - chemically induced; Sarcoma, Experimental - prevention & control
• ISSN: 0019-5189

Cancer chemopreventive potential of Cancare, a multi-herbal formulation on chemically induced tumours was studied by N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats and 20-methylcholanthrene (20-MC) induced sarcoma development in mice. Oral administration of Cancare was found to inhibit the liver tumour development induced by N-nitrosodiethylamine. Animals administered with NDEA had visible liver tumours by the end of 30th weeks and the liver weight was raised to 6.1 +/- 1.4 g/ 100 g body wt. None of the animals treated with Cancare (150 mg/ kg) developed any visible liver tumours by this period and the liver weight was 3.0 +/- 0.6 g/ 100 g body wt. Gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase, a marker of hepatocellularcarcinoma, which was raised to 83.7 +/- 8. 9 U/l in serum of NDEA treated group was reduced to 35.2 +/- 6.1 U/l by simultaneous administration of Cancare. Elevated levels of serum alkaline phosphatase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, bilirubin, liver glutathione S-transferase, glutathione and gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase in the NDEA administered group was significantly reduced by Cancare administration. Cancare administration inhibited the sarcoma development and increased the life span of mice administered with 20-MC dose dependently. All animals in the control group developed sarcomas by 150th day and dead by 174th day after 20-MC administration. Cancare administration (30 mg and 150 mg/kg) inhibited the sarcoma development (46.7 and 60%) as well as increased the life span (53.3 and 66.7%) as estimated on 240th day after 20-MC administration. The results are indicative of the chemopreventive potential of Cancare against chemically induced neoplasmas.