DIETARY CHEMOPREVENTION OF CLASTOGENIC EFFECTS OF 3,4-BENZO(A)PYRENE BY EMBLICA-OFFICINALIS GAERTN. FRUIT EXTRACT

Dietary supplementation with extract of fruit of Emblica officinalis G aertn. (a rich source of vitamin C) to mice in vivo significantly redu ced the cytotoxic effects of a known carcinogen, 3,4-benzo(a)pyrene. A ge-matched Swiss albino mice were fed by gavaging the fruit extract da ily for 28 days. From day 9, one dose of the carcinogen was given on a lternate days up to a total of eight doses. On day 29, all mice were t ransferred to normal diet. Control sets received the extract alone, th e carcinogen alone and olive oil alone. All mice were sacrificed at 12 weeks and 14 weeks after the end of the experiment. Chromosome prepar ations were made from bone marrow after the usual colchicine-hypotonic -fixative-air drying-Giemsa staining schedule. Cytogenetic end points screened were the frequencies of chromosomal aberrations and of damage d cells induced. The cytotoxic effects were significantly lower in the mice given the fruit extract with the carcinogen than in those given the carcinogen alone.