Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequent malignant tumor in women, and its metastatic state represents the second cause of mortality. To treat cancer, we must prevent tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis. The usage of herbal medication for treatment of some diseases as diabetes is increased nowadays for their wide safety margin. Aims and Objectives: Therefore, the current study was designed to examine the protective effect of ginger extract (GE) and cinnamon extract (CE) in controlling the mammary gland incidence in female Wistar rats.
Materials and Methods: A total of 75 female virgin Wistar rats were allocated into 5 groups. Control group without any treatment; mammary gland group administered 7, 12-dimethyl-benz[a]anthracene at a dose of 20 mg/kg orally in corn oil. Rats in 3-5 served as tumor groups and received GE for group 3 (0.125% in water), CE for group 4 (100 mg/kg), and a mixture of GE plus CE for group 5. GE and CE were administered 2 weeks before cancer induction and continued for 4 months. Serum levels of breast cancer biomarker (CA125) and oxidative stress biomarkers were measured. Tissues of tumors were examined at molecular and histopathological levels.
Results: There was a significant increase in the serum levels of CA125 in untreated mammary gland tumor group when compared with untreated healthy rats. There was a significant decrease in the serum levels of glutathione (GSH) peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and GSH reductase in the untreated mammary gland tumor groups compared to control healthy rats. Administration of ginger and CE normalized the decrease in antioxidants levels. Induction of mammary gland tumor upregulated the genes associated with tumor incidences such as GST-P, CYP1A1, CYP1B1, and vascular endothelial growth factor-receptor 1 and administration of both herbal plants normalized these changes. Coadministration of GE and CE-induced additive inhibitory effect on genes upregulated due to tumor incidence. Bax expression was downregulated in tumor group and increased after GE and CE expression either alone or in combination. At histopathological levels, breast cancer group showed adenocarcinoma that is decreased with plants extracts administration when compared with breast cancer and control group. Conclusion: Results suggest that extracts of ginger and cinnamon have anticarcinogenic protective activities and support the hypothesis that these plants help in the prevention of mammary cancer by controlling the expression of carcinogenesis-associated genes.