CHEMOPREVENTIVE AND ANTIOXIDATIVE EFFECT OF FLAXSEED OIL AGAINST DMBA/CROTON OIL INDUCED TWO STAGES SKIN CARCINOGENESIS IN MICE

Cancer is one of the major threats to human health that cause considerable suffering and economic loss worldwide. The search for natural compounds which prevent cancer has upsurge with the mounting evidence that many types of cancer are caused or triggered by factors relating to our lifestyle. Chemopreventive agents include all those agents which can either prevent cancer or slow down the growth of malignant lesions. The present experiment was designed to explore the chemoprotective and antioxidative potential of Flaxseed oil (FSO) on 7, 12-dimethylbenz(a) anthracene (100 mu g/100 mu l of acetone) and croton oil (1% in acetone/three times a week) induced skin carcinogenesis in mammals. FSO administration to mice, by oral gavage at a dose of 50 mu l/animal/day for 17 weeks at peri-post initiation stage (i.e. started from 7 days before the experiment & continued till completion of experiment), reduced the tumor burden, tumor multiplicity, tumor yield, cumulative number of papillomas and percent tumor incidence while increased the average latent period when compared to control group. The lipid per oxidation levels in liver and skin were significantly (P <= 0.001) reduced along with the significant (P <= 0.001) elevation in enzymatic (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and non-enzymatic (reduced glutathione and vitamin C) antioxidants. Total protein content also increased significantly in both the tissues. These results demonstrate that the FSO treatment significantly reduces the chemical induced tumorogenesis and oxidative stress during skin carcinogenesis.