American ginseng could inhibit colon cancer development

A study has been conducted to determine if American ginseng could be used to inhibit the development of colon cancer in people who consume a western diet.

The research aimed to decipher if ginseng could inhibit western diet promoted colonic tumorigenesis and if compound K, a microbial metabolite of ginseng, could suppress colon cancer xenograft growth.

Mice were initiated with azoxymethane (AOM) and were fed a western diet, containing 20 per cent fat, or a western diet supplemented with 250-ppm ginseng.

After one week, the mice received 2.5 per cent dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) for five days and were sacrificed 12 weeks after AOM introduction.

Tumours were harvested a cell proliferation measured by Ki67 staining and apoptosis by TUNEL assay.

Anti-tumour effects of intraperitoneal compound K were examined using a tumour xenograft model and compound K absorption measured following oral ginseng gavage by UPLC-mass spectrometry.

Researchers found that ginseng significantly inhibited colonic inflammation, tumorigenesis and concomitantly reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis.

Posted by Neil Clark