THE CYTOTOXIC DOSE OF SAFFRON S (CROCUS SATIVUS L.) STIGMA TOTAL EXTRACT IN EXPERIMENTAL COLON CANCER MODEL IN RATS INDUCED BY AZOXYMETHANE/DEXTRAN SODIUM SULFATE

Background and Aim: In this 22-weeks study, cytotoxic dose of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) stigma total extract on five structural abnormalities (based on histopathology evaluation) of crypts in colon carcinoma initiated by azoxymethane (20 mg/kg once in the week of 4 of study) and followed by DSS (1%) were studied Methods: Saffron at concentration of 300, 150, 75, and 20 ppm/day were be given by gavage for twenty-two weeks. Seventy-two 6-weeks-old male rats were randomly group as follow: Control (10 rats), cancer (12 rats), saffron (10 rats), and four cancerous-saffron treated groups: saffron s High Dose (300ppm), saffron s Medium Dose (150ppm), saffron s Low Dose (75ppm) and saffron s Very Low Dose (20ppm) (10 rats per group). Results: Cancerious rats fed medium dose of saffron (150 ppm) had significant fewer loss of nuclear polymorphism, less Epithelial stratification, less nuclear dispolarity, fewer loss of goblet cell s number and fewer structural abnormality of crypt (P<0.05) than rats fed the other doses of saffron total extract Conclusion: the dietary -and also cytotoxic dose of saffron extract, which capable of inhibiting azoxymethane/Dextran Sodium Sulfate-induced crypt s abnormalities in cancerous colon tissue in rats is 150 ppm. Saffron may exert its anticarcinogenic activity by modulating oxidative equilibrium in dose dependent manner in an invivo colon cancer model.

Keywords:

Colon , saffron , Azoxymethane , animal model , Invivo model ,