Chemopreventive task of capsaicin against benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung cancer in Swiss albino mice.

A voluminous number of evidence suggests that an increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is a relatively easy and practical strategy to reduce significantly the incidence of cancer. The present study is an effort to identify the chemopreventive role of alkaloid capsaicin against benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung cancer in Swiss albino mice. Benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung cancer-bearing animals showed abnormal changes in body weight, lung weight, tumour incidence and alterations in the activities of marker enzymes adenosine deaminase, aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, 5'-nucleotidase and lactate dehydrogenase. On capsaicin pre-co-treatment, all the above alterations were returned to near normal. Immunohistochemical analysis of proliferating cell nuclear antigen together with lung histological examination further supported our biochemical findings that demonstrated the chemoprotective role of capsaicin against benzo(a)pyrene-induced experimental lung cancer.