Introducing Cichorium Pumilum as a Potential Therapeutical Agent Against Drug-Induced Benign Breast Tumor in Rats

Abstract

Cichorium Pumilum (chicory) is could be a promising cancer treatment in which a photosensitizing drug concentrates in benign tumor cells and activated by quanta at certain wavelength. Such activated extracts could lead to cell death and tumor ablation. Previous studies have shown that Cichorium Pumilum (chicory) contains photosensitive compounds such as cichoriin, anthocyanins, lactucin, and Lactucopicrin. In the present study, the protective effect of sun light-activated Cichorium against the dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) induced benign breast tumors to female Sprague-Dawley rats was investigated. Chicory's extract has significantly increase P.carbonyl (PC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and decreases the hepatic levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in benign breast tumors-induced group compared to control. It also significantly decrease the number of estrogen receptors ER-positive cells in tumor masses. These results suggest that chicory extracts could be used as herbal photosensitizing agent in treating benign breast tumor in rats.

Keywords::

• Chicory
• Benign breast tumor
• Photohemolysis
• Oxidative stress

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the scientific research council of United Arab Emirates, grant # 08-02-2-11/06, and partially by higher council for science and technology/Jordan, grant # 62/2000.The authors are grateful to Miss. Fedae Alhaddad, Miss. Nada Al-Kahlout, and to Mr. Taleb for their valuable assistance throughout this work.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.