Anti carcinogenic effect of roman nettle against chemical induced colon cancer in Sprague-Dawley rats

Abstract EN

Colon cancer is an aggressive cancer and it is reported to be one of the most treatment-resistant human cancer.

This article describes the anti-carcinogenic activity of Roman nettle (Urtica pilulifera) in comparison to garlic (Allium sativum) against 1,2,-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) induced colon cancer.

Histopathological study showed that DMH induced different grades of dysplasia, hyperplasia, neoplastic proliferation and malignant glands invading muscles.

Compared to DMH treated rat, the rats received nettle or garlic extracts with DMH formed fewer and smaller tumours.

On the molecular level, the results show that nettle extract induces high level of p21 protein suggesting that this extract plays its role by the induction of cell cycle arrest.

Furthermore, both garlic and nettle extracts decreased Bcl-2 anti apoptotic protein level indicating that both plants may activate apoptosis as a mechanism of prevention against DMH induced colon cancer.

Together these findings suggest that nettle and garlic consumption may play an important role of colon cancer prevention.