Background: Anthocyanins have been shown to inhibit cancer cell growth by suppressing oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an anthocyanin-rich extract (AE) from black soybean coat on intestinal carcinogenesis.
Methods: Apc (Min/+) mice were fed a diet of 0.2% or 0.5% AE for 7 weeks. We analyzed the number of intestinal tumors, oxidative stress and inflammatory markers associated with β-catenin and cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) signals. The number of intestinal tumors, and cellular expression of β-catenin were determined.
Results: The number of intestinal tumors was significantly lower in mice fed a 0.5% AE diet compared to those of the other groups. Cytosolic β-catenin expression was significantly decreased in the AE supplemented groups compared to that of the control animals. In addition, mucosa expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and cPLA2 were also significantly decreased in the 0.5% AE group, by 32% and 62%, respectively, compared to the control group.
Conclusions: These results suggest that dietary AE reduced the development of intestinal tumors, possibly through the ability to suppress oxidative stresses, decreasing inflammatory responses mediated by β-catenin associated signals.
Keywords: APCMin/+; Anthocyanins; Black soybean; Inflammation; Intestinal tumors.