Effect of ginger on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in 1,2-dimethyl hydrazine induced experimental colon carcinogenesis

The prevalence of colon cancer has rapidly risen during the lastdecade. In this study we have evaluated the chemopreventive efficacyof ginger in 1,2-dimethyl hydrazine (DMH) induced coloncarcinogenesis. Rats were given a weekly subcutaneous injection ofDMH at a dose of 20mg/kg body weight for 15 weeks. Ginger(50mg/kg body weight/day) was given at the initiation and also at thepost-initiation stages of carcinogenesis to DMH treated rats every day.The animals were sacrificed at the end of 30 weeks. Colon cancerincidence was 100% in DMH treated rats. The incidence of cancer aswell as the number of tumours in the colon was significantly reducedon supplementing ginger to DMH treated rats. The levels of lipidperoxidation and the activities of the enzymic antioxidants such assuperoxide dismutase and catalase in the colon and intestines weresignificantly decreased whereas the activities of glutathione and itsdependent enzymes such as, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-Stransferaseand glutathione reductase and the levels of non-enzymicantioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E were significantlyelevated in DMH treated rats as compared to control animals. Gingersupplementation to DMH treated rats inhibited colon carcinogenesis,as evidenced by the significantly decreased number and incidence oftumours. In addition ginger optimized tissue lipid peroxidation andantioxidant status in DMH treated rats.