Protective effect of p-coumaric acid against 1,2 dimethylhydrazine induced colonic preneoplastic lesions in experimental rats

Oxidative stress and gut microbial enzymes are intricately linked to the onset of colon carcinogenesis. Phytochemicals that modulate these two factors hold promise for the development of such agents as anticancer drugs. The present study evaluates the chemopreventive potential of p-coumaric acid (p-CA) - a phenolic acid in rats challenged with the colon specific procarcinogen DMH (1,2 di-methyl hydrazine). Rats were randomized into six groups (n = 7/group). Group 1 (control); Group 2 (p-CA 200 mg/kg b.w.); Group 3 (DMH 40 mg/kg b.w.); Groups 4 (DMH + p-CA 50 mg/kg b.w.) and Group 5 (DMH + p-CA 100 mg/kg b.w.) and Group 6 (DMH + p-CA 200 mg/kg b.w.). After the experimental duration of 15 weeks' rats were subjected to necropsy and tissues were collected for the histological and biochemical investigations. DMH induced colonic preneoplastic lesions viz., aberrant crypt foci (ACF), dysplastic ACF (DACF), mucin depleted foci (MDF) and beta catenin accumulated crypts (BCAC) were significantly suppressed by p-CA supplementation. Glucuronide conjugation of DMH in liver and its subsequent deconjugation mediated by microbes in the colon induced the formation of colonic preneoplastic lesions. p-CA inhibited these lesions and protected the rat colon against genotoxic insult by scavenging the free radicals via its strong antioxidant response and detoxification mechanism as measured by TBARS and enzymic antioxidants in control and experimental rats. Of the three tested doses, p-CA at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight is found to exhibit a significant optimum effect compared to the other two doses 50 mg/kg body weight and 200 mg/kg body weight.