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    Suppression of Polyps Formation by Saffron Extract in Adenomatous polyposis coliMin/+ Mice

    Kyoko Fujimoto1, Tomoe Ohta1, Hitomi Yamaguchi2, Nguyen Huu Tung3, Gen Fujii4, Michihiro Mutoh5, Takuhiro Uto1, Yukihiro Shoyama1★★ Corresponding author

    1. 1Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagasaki International University, Sasebo, Nagasaki, JAPAN.
    2. 2Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagasaki International University, Sasebo, Nagasaki, JAPAN.
    3. 3School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, VIETNAM.
    4. 4Central Radioisotope Division, Research Institute, Tokyo, JAPAN.
    5. 5Epidemiology and Prevention Division, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, JAPAN.

    CORRESPONDENCE

    Yukihiro Shoyama

    Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagasaki International University, Sasebo, Nagasaki, JAPAN.

    shoyama@niu.ac.jp

    Volume 11, Issue 1 · pp. 98–101 · PUBLISHED · DOI: 10.4103/pr.pr_152_18

    View on Pharmacogn. Res. original site ↗

    ABSTRACT

    Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) has been used both as a food additive for flavoring and coloring and in traditional medicine. Saffron extract and its main component crocin decrease the growth of several types of human cancer, including colorectal cancer in vitro. Numerous polyps develop in the small intestine in the Adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) deficiency mice. ApcMin/+ mice are models for human familial adenomatous polyposis and human colon cancer patients. In this study, we examined the efficacy of saffron extract added to diet on reducing the polyp density in ApcMin/+ mice. ApcMin/+ mice were either given a placebo or saffron extract (0.1% and 0.5%) diet for 4 weeks. At 12 weeks of age, intestines were analyzed for polyp number in the small intestine. Our analysis confirmed that crocin (1), crocin-2 (2), and crocin-4 (4) are the major compounds in the saffron extract and the content of 1 in the tested saffron extract was 29.2%. Saffron extract decreased the number of intestinal polyps in a concentration‑dependent manner in ApcMin/+ mice. Notably, the number of polyps in the distal small intestine of the mice fed with 0.5% saffron extract was significantly decreased compared with the placebo. These results indicate that saffron extract can reduce the polyp number in the ApcMin/+ mice.

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      Fujimoto, K., Ohta, T., Yamaguchi, H., Tung, N. H., Fujii, G., Mutoh, M., Uto, T., & Shoyama, Y. (). Suppression of Polyps Formation by Saffron Extract in Adenomatous polyposis coliMin/+ Mice. Pharmacognosy Research, 11(1), 98–101. https://doi.org/10.4103/pr.pr_152_18