Hyderabad: Compounds found in turmeric and black pepper reduced liver damage, inflammation and cancer-associated changes in rats exposed to cancer-inducing chemicals, a study involving Hyderabad’s Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) has reported. The combination generally showed stronger effects than either compound alone.The findings concern purified curcumin and piperine administered to animals. They do not establish that eating turmeric and pepper prevents or treats liver cancer in humans.
The research involved MANUU’s zoology department and Jamia Hamdard’s biotechnology department in New Delhi. Researchers Nishat Afroz, Abul Vafa, Rupali Ghosh, P Fazul Rahaman, Saima Wajid and Arif Ahmad examined whether the compounds could protect against chemically induced liver-cancer-associated changes.The study was published in the BMC Cancer journal.Combination shows stronger effectsThe 20-week experiment involved 30 male Wistar rats divided into five groups. Preventive administration began seven days before exposure to diethylnitrosamine, followed by thioacetamide.Rats receiving both compounds showed the largest reductions in alpha-fetoprotein, a cancer-associated marker, and interleukin-6, an inflammation marker, towards normal control levels. Liver-injury markers improved, antioxidant defences recovered and microscopic examination showed near-normal liver architecture in the combination group. No deaths occurred.The researchers also observed changes in a biochemical pathway involving proteins associated with cellular stress and programmed cell death. These changes were associated with the protective effects, without proving that the pathway caused them.Human benefits remain untestedThe work addresses interest in preventing hepatocellular carcinoma, a major form of primary liver cancer often diagnosed late. Curcumin’s limited absorption is another research concern, with piperine investigated for its ability to increase availability.However, the study tested one dose regimen in small groups of male rats, and did not assess treatment of established cancer. Further experiments are needed to establish how the proposed pathway contributes.
