Dietary Ziziphus jujuba Fruit Influence on Aberrant Crypt Formation and Blood Cells in Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer in Mice

• Published in: Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP Vol. 16; no. 17; p. 7561
• Main Authors: Periasamy, Srinivasan, Liu, Chung-Teng, Wu, Wang-Hung, Chien, Se-Ping, Liu, Ming-Yie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thailand 2015
• Subjects: Aberrant Crypt Foci - drug therapy; Adenocarcinoma - drug therapy; Adenocarcinoma - prevention & control; Animals; Azoxymethane; Carcinogenesis - drug effects; Chemoprevention - methods; Colitis - etiology; Colon - pathology; Colorectal Neoplasms - complications; Colorectal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Colorectal Neoplasms - prevention & control; Dextran Sulfate; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Disease Progression; Hyperplasia - drug therapy; Hyperplasia - prevention & control; Leukocyte Count; Leukocytes - cytology; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Plant Preparations - therapeutic use; Ziziphus - metabolism

Ziziphus jujuba (ZJ) fruit is rich in bioactive functional components such as polysaccharides, triterpenoid acid, flavonoids and oleamide. It has been commonly used in the treatment of various diseases including diabetes, digestive disorders, diarrhea, skin infections, liver and urinary complaints. However, dietary effects with regard to chemoprevention of colon cancer have not been studied. The present study was performed to evaluate the protective effects of dietary ZJ against colitis-associated colon carcinogenesis in azoxymethane (AOM)-dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-treated mice. AOM was injected (10 mg/kg b.wt., i.p.) and three cycles of 2% DSS in drinking water for 7 days with 14 days of normal drinking water in-between were administered to induce colitis-associated colon cancer. ZJ fruit was supplemented into feed at levels of 5 and 10%. Dietary ZJ significantly attenuated aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formation and also decreased the progression of hyperplasia to dysplasia. In addition, it significantly reduced circulating white blood cells, lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils and platelets compared to colon cancer mice. We conclude that ZJ supplementation may delay the progression of colon cancer from hyperplasia to dysplasia and ultimately adenocarcinoma and cancer. In addition, it decreased circulating tumor-related leukocytes, main regulators of cancer inflammation. Dietary consumption of ZJ fruit attenuated the formation of ACF and delayed the progression of colon cancer.