Chemopreventive potential of apigenin in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene induced experimental oral carcinogenesis.

Aim was to investigate the chemopreventive potential of apigenin by analyzing the tumor incidence as well as monitoring lipid peroxidation, antioxidants and phase I and phase II detoxification as biomarkers during DMBA induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. Oral tumors were developed in the buccal pouches of golden Syrian hamsters using topical application of 0.5% DMBA (DMBA) three times a week for 14weeks. Tumor incidence, tumor volume and burden were measured in hamsters treated with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and DMBA+apigenin (2.5mg/kg body weight) treated hamsters. Oral administration of apigenin not only completely prevented the formation of oral tumors, it also brought back the status of lipid peroxidation, antioxidants and phase I and phase II detoxification agents to near normal range during DMBA induced oral carcinogenesis. The present study thus concludes that apigenin might have inhibited oral carcinogenesis by improving the status of antioxidant defense mechanism and modulated the activities of phase I and phase II detoxification cascade toward increased excretion of active metabolite of DMBA, during DMBA induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis.