Protective effects of curcumin during benzo(a)pyrene induced liver toxicity and carcinogenicity in rats

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Phytochemicals are chemicals produced by plants through primary or secondary metabolism. It is one such family of bioactive agents that is being researched extensively the world over for its effectiveness against several cancer pathways. Curcumin belong to the family of phytochemicals and have antioxidative and anticarcinogenic properties. In the present study, chemopreventive efficacy of curcumin was investigated against Benzo[a]pyrene (BP), induced liver toxicity and carcinogenicity. The BP treatment resulted in a significant increase (p < /em>≤0.05) in liver functions enzymatic activity and lipid peroxidation (malonaldialdehyde, MDA) levels. The activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, GSH-Px; superoxide dismutase, SOD and catalase, CAT) and glutathione (GSH) fractions were found to be significantly decreased (p < /em>≤0.01) following BP treatment. Further, BP treatment brought a significant increase (p < /em>≤0.05) in the activities of drug metabolizing enzymes (cytochrome P450, Cyt P450). Supplementation of the rat diets with curcumin (0.1 to 4.0 g/100g w/w) was able to decrease significantly (p < /em>≤0.05) the levels of MDA and increase significantly (p < /em>≤0.05) activities of antioxidant enzymes. Also, the activity of drug metabolizing enzyme (cytochrome p450) was markedly decreased by the feeding of curcumin. The results of this study suggest that treatment with curcumin proved beneficial on antioxidant status and drug metabolizing enzymes during experimentally induced liver toxicity and carcinogenicity in rats. Therefore, we recommended curcumin by a concentration of about 0.4% to be included in our daily diets, drinks and food products.

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