Author(s)

Ebube N. Onwasigwe, Martha Verghese^*, Hadyn Reid, Carlissa Holden, Lillian Smith, Shantrell Willis, Rajitha Sunkara, Louis Shackelford, Lloyd T. Walker

Nutritional Biochemistry and Carcinogenesis Laboratory, Department of Food and Animal Sciences, Alabama A and M University, Normal, AL, USA.

Allspice contains phytochemicals which may have antioxidative and chemopreventive potential. The objective was to determine the effects of allspice on the AOM induced aberrant cryptic foci (ACF) in colon of Fisher 344 male rats. Rats were obtained from Harlan, IN, and raised in an environmentally controlled condition of 12 hours of light and dark cycles and at 50% relative humidity. Rats in experimental groups were fed with different concentrations of allspice (0.5%, 1% and 2%) in an AIN-93G based diet. Rats received AOM injections at 7 and 8 weeks of age at 16 mg/kg body weight. After 17 weeks, rats were asphyxiated with CO2, and liver, and colon samples were collected. Colons were stained with methylene blue to enumerate ACF and crypt multiplicity. Rats fed 0.5% allspice had the highest cecal pH (7.64) compared to control (6.88) (P ≤ 0.05). Rats in the treatment groups gained 225 g to 251 g over the 13-week period. A 29% reduction in total crypts was observed in rats fed 2% compared to 0.5% allspice. Highest number of crypts was seen in control group. Antioxidative enzyme activity was higher in rats fed allspice compared to the control group. Total tumors (0.25 - 2.5), tumor bearing rat ratio (1 - 2.5) and incidence rate (50% - 100%) in rats fed different concentrations of allspice were lower compared to rats in the control group (6.6%, 5.8%, and 100% respectively). Consumption of allspice in the diet reduced the number of ACF in Fisher 344 male rats. Allspice can be utilized in food formulations for its chemopreventive effects against colon cancer.

ACF (Aberrant Crypt Foci), AOM-Azoxymethane, Methylene Blue, Fisher 344 Male Rats, Crypt Multiplicity

Onwasigwe, E. , Verghese, M. , Reid, H. , Holden, C. , Smith, L. , Willis, S. , Sunkara, R. , Shackelford, L. and Walker, L. (2019) Chemopreventive Effect of Allspice in Azoxymethane (AOM) Induced Fisher 344 Male Rats. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 10, 220-234. doi: 10.4236/fns.2019.102017.