Screening for Korean Vegetables with Anticarcinogenic Enzyme Inducing Activity Using Cell Culture System

Abstract

There is extensive evidence suggesting the protective role of fruits and vegetables against chemically induced carcinogenesis. We have tested the ability of a representative range of Korean vegetables to act as blocking agents against neoplastic initiation by determining the induction level of quinone reductase , an anticarcinogenci marker enzyme, in hepalclc 7 cells exposed to vegetable extracts. Among thirty vegetables tested, Arcitum lappa(Burdock), Brassica juncea (Mustard leaf), Pteridium aguilinum (Bracken) and Chrysanthemum cornoratium(Crown daisy) caused a significant induction of quinone teductase activity with a limited increase in arylhdrocarbon hydroxylase activity. Combination of crown daisy with burdock had synergistic effect on quinone reductase induction. Quinone reductase-inducing activity was found mostly in hesane and ehtylactate fractions of MeOH extract of crown daisy while it ws not quinone reductase activity in liver, kideny, lung, and small intestine, confirming the presence of potent QR inducer (s) in crown daisy. These sata suggest that some vegetables including crown daisy induced QR merits further investigation as a potential cancer preventive agent in human.

Keywords

• anticarcinogenic enzyme;
• quinone reductase;
• arylhdrocarbon hydroxylase;
• vegetables;
• chemoprevention