Effect of ginger on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in 1,2-dimethyl hydrazine induced experimental colon carcinogenesis

The prevalence of colon cancer has rapidly risen during the last decade. In this study we have evaluated the chemopreventive efficacy of ginger in 1,2-dimethyl hydrazine (DMH) induced colon carcinogenesis. Rats were given a weekly subcutaneous injection of DMH at a dose of 20mg/kg body weight for 15 weeks. Ginger (50mg/kg body weight/day) was given at the initiation and also at the post-initiation stages of carcinogenesis to DMH treated rats every day. The animals were sacrificed at the end of 30 weeks. Colon cancer incidence was 100% in DMH treated rats. The incidence of cancer as well as the number of tumours in the colon was significantly reduced on supplementing ginger to DMH treated rats. The levels of lipid peroxidation and the activities of the enzymic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase and catalase in the colon and intestines were significantly decreased whereas the activities of glutathione and its dependent enzymes such as, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-Stransferase and glutathione reductase and the levels of non-enzymic antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E were significantly elevated in DMH treated rats as compared to control animals. Ginger supplementation to DMH treated rats inhibited colon carcinogenesis, as evidenced by the significantly decreased number and incidence of tumours. In addition ginger optimized tissue lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in DMH treated rats. Keywords: Antioxidants, 1, 2-dimethyl hydrazine, ginger, lipid peroxidation Received: 11 January 2010/ Received in revised form: 18 March 2010, Accepted: 19 March 2010, Published online: 07 July 2010