Anticarcinogenic potential of ethanol extract of Indigofera cordifolia Roth. (Fabales: Fabaceae) on diethylnitrosamine induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats

Raju Senthil Kumar , Gopal Murugananthan and Balasubramanian Rajkapoor

Abstract
Indigofera cordifolia Roth. (Fabales: Fabaceae) has been widely used in Indian system of medicine to treat various disorders. Earlier studies showed that I. cordifolia (EIC) possess antioxidant, free radical scavenging and antitumour activities. The present investigation was designed to evaluate the anticarcinogenic potential of EIC against diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induced hepatocellular carcinoma in male Wistar rats. Hepatocarcinogenesis was induced by a single intraperitoneal administration of DEN (200 mg/kg) and the carcinogenic effect was promoted by phenobarbital given through drinking water for 16 successive weeks. EIC at the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg/day were administered orally for the entire study period. After the end of experimental period, changes in body weight, the weight of liver, relative liver weight, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant, serum hepatic parameters, tumour markers, DNA, RNA and protein content were analysed. Treatment with EIC significantly increased the body weight (P < 0.01 0.001), reduced the liver weight and relative liver weight (P < 0.01-0.001), restored the altered serum hepatic parameters (P < 0.001), down-regulated the serum tumour markers such as alpha-fetoprotein and carcinoembryonic antigen (P < 0.001) when compared to DEN group. EIC treatment restored the antioxidant enzymes and significantly reduced the lipid peroxidation in DEN-treated animals (P < 0.001). EIC treatment also significantly reduced the elevated levels of nucleic acid levels and restored the protein content in liver tissues (P < 0.001). We investigated the anticarcinogenic potential of EIC against DEN-induced HCC in rats. Chemoprotective effect of the extract might be related with antioxidant, free radical scavenging and reduction of lipid peroxidation. The results suggested that EIC would be a potent anticarcinogenic agent inhibiting DEN-induced hepatic carcinoma.

Keywords
Indigofera cordifolia; Diethylnitrosamine; Serum hepatic parameters; Carcinoembryonic antigen; Alpha-fetoprotein; Chemoprevention.

DOI
10.21472/bjbs.040707

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