Summary: | Colon cancer remains as a serious health problem around the world despite advances in
diagnosis and treatment. Dietary fibers are considered to reduce the risk of colon cancer as
they are converted to short chain fatty acids by the presence of anaerobic bacteria in the
intestine, but imbalanced diet and high fat consumption may promote tumor formation at
different sites, including the large bowel via increased bacterial enzymes activity. The
present study was conducted to characterize the inhibitory action of myrtenal on bacterial
enzymes and aberrant crypt foci (ACF). Experimental colon carcinogenesis induced by 1,2-
dimethylhydrazine is histologically, morphologically, and anatomically similar to human
colonic epithelial neoplasm. Discrete microscopic mucosal lesions such as ACF and malignant
tumors function as important biomarkers in the diagnosis of colon cancer. Methylene
blue staining was carried out to visualize the impact of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine and
myrtenal. Myrtenal-treated animals showed decreased levels of bacterial enzymes such as
b-glucuronidase, b-glucosidase, and mucinase. Characteristic changes in the colon were
noticed by inhibiting ACF formation in the colon.
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