Exploitation of Nontraditional Corp, Yacon, in Breast Cancer Prevention Using Preclinical Rat Model
Abstract
Yacon has recently been introduced into farmer's markets and natural food stores in the US, but its preventive activity for breast cancer has rarely been evaluated. Objective are to determine the effect of dietary yacon on 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea (MNU) induced mammary carcinogenesis in rat; to evaluate the circulating factors and their association with the carcinogenesis; and to determine cellular signaling pathways HDAC and downstream targets - AMPK/Akt-mTOR and ghrelin-IGF1 axis. Mammary carcinogenesis was initiated by injection of female rats with 50 mg MNU/kg body weight (i.p.) at 21 days of age. One week later, the rats were fed diets containing yacon powder at 0%, 15%, 30% or 60% (30 rats/group) for 8 weeks, respectively. Results showed that dietary yacon reduced the promotion and progression of MNUinduced mammary carcinogenesis in rat, which is associated with downregulation of IGF-1/HDAC/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and antiinflammation, i.e. reduction of plasma IL-6, TNF , and C-reactive protein. More cytokines were analyzed during the extended period. The plasma IL-1a, IL-4, IL-12, IL-13, and IFN were decreased and plasma IL-5 was increased in the rats fed dietary yacon. These results indicate that anti-inflammatory effect of yacon accounts for, at least in part, the inhibitory effect of yacon on mammary carcinogenesis, which may be associated its effect on obesity that are risk factors for breast cancer. The study provided crucial biological information to complement the knowledge of natural functional foods rich in non-digestible, fermentable oligosaccharides.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA550876
Entities
People
- Weiqin Jiang
Organizations
- Colorado State University