Inhibition of azoxymethane-induced preneoplastic lesions in the rat colon by a stearic acid complexed high-amylose cornstarch using different cooking methods and assessing potential gene targets

Stearic-acid-complexed-high-amylose-cornstarch (SAC) prevented preneoplastic lesions in the colon of azoxymethane (AOM)-treated Fisher344 rats fed cooked SAC for 8 weeks when water-boiling or bread-baking cooking methods were applied. Water-boiled-SAC (w-SAC) diet was compared with water-boiled-control-cornstarch (w-CS) or water-boiled-high-amylose-cornstarch (w-HA), and bread-baked-CS (b-CS) were compared with bread-baked-HA (b-HA) and bread-baked-SAC (b-SAC). Gene expression profiles from rats fed different water-boiled diets were determined. w-SAC or b-SAC markedly reduced pre-noeplasia compared with HA or CS. Increased cecal contents and decreased cecal pH were observed in SAC or HA groups. Total or individual (butyrate, acetate, and propionate) short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) increased in selected SAC groups. Differentially expressed genes for AOM treatment were observed in rats fed w-CS and injected with AOM or saline (6428 genes), and for diet treatment in rats injected with AOM and fed w-CS or w-SAC (1403 genes). Changes in 7 genes (CACYBP, RhoA, MAPK1, TOPBP1, HSPH1, MCM6, and HSPD1) were confirmed with qRT-PCR.