Combination of green tea, phytic acid, and inositol reduced the incidence of azoxymethane-induced colon tumors in Fisher 344 male rats

Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relationship between consumption of nutritive/non-nutritive foods of plant origin and colon cancer incidence. This study was conducted to determine the effect of green tea, phytic acid, and inositol at 2 g/100 ml levels singly and in combination on azoxymethane (AOM) induced colon tumors in Fisher 344 male rats. After an acclimatization period of one week, 8 groups of rats (15 rats each) were initially assigned to consume AIN 93G and later AIN 93M diet. All treatments were given in drinking water. All the rats received 16 mg/kg body mass AOM, two s/c injections at seven and eight week of age. Rats were killed at 46 week of age by CO2 euthanasia. Tumor incidence (percent) and tumors per tumor-bearing rat (TBR) in the control were significantly higher (P<0.05) than all treatment groups. Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity was significantly higher in treatment groups compared to control. These findings suggest that the additive effect of green tea, phytic acid and inositol may reduce the incidence of colon tumors, and can also be used as an adjuvant to chemomodulation.