Optimal dose of garlic to inhibit dimethylhydrazine-induced colon cancer

Author(s): Meng, C., Tzeng, C., Lin, J.

Abstract: This study was designed to investigate the optimal dose of garlic during long-term feeding and its preventive and therapeutic effects on colon cancer in rats induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). A total of 240 male Sprague-Dawley rats were grouped and fed with either a basal or a garlic diet of different concentration, and some groups were subcutaneously injected with DMH 20 mg/kg once a week for 20 weeks. The incidence of colon tumor was significantly decreased in the groups fed with 2.5%, 5%, and 10% garlic diets (p 0.001). There was no distinct difference among these concentrations (p 0.05). Therefore the minimal optimal dose of garlic to inhibit colon cancer was 2.5%. The equivalent dose of this concentration in humans is 4.76 g/m2 body surface/day. In a therapeutic study, the tumor-inducing interval in nude mice subcutaneously injected with colon cancer cells (CC-M2) was prolonged by a 2.5% garlic diet (p 0.01). Thus smaller tumor volume and longer survival time were found in the garlic group than in the controls (p 0.01). However, the growth rate of tumors was not markedly inhibited by garlic. All rats finally died within 18 weeks. This study suggested that a 2.5% garlic dose may be used mainly as an inhibitor to prevent colon cancers and improve survival time.

Keyword(s): Chi-Square Distribution

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