Publications

Dimethylhydrazine (DMH) is a potent colonic and hepatic carcinogen that is metabolized into oxyradicals causingliver injury and DNA mutations.Matricaria chamomillais a well-documented medicinal herb that possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antitumor activities and is commonly used to treat diverse ailments. The presentstudy aimed to reveal the hepatoprotective effects ofMatricaria chamomillaaqueous extract during an interme-diate stage of colorectal cancer (CRC) in mice. Male Balb/c mice were divided into six groups: group A served ascontrol, group B received chamomile extract (150 mg/Kg b.w.) orally for 12 weeks, and groups C-F receivedweekly intraperitoneal injections of DMH (20 mg/Kg b.w.) once a week for 12 weeks. In addition to DMH, groupsD and F received chamomile during the initiation and post-initiation stages, respectively. Blood and liver sampleswere collected for biochemical and molecular analyses. The results showed that DMH induced hepatic injury inmice as shown by significant increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. Thechanges in biochemical parameters were accompanied by activation of the Wnt signaling pathway leading toincreased hepatocytes proliferation as well as inflammation evidenced by high levels of pro-inflammatory en-zymes cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The results also showed potentialhepatoprotective effects of chamomile extract against DMH-induced liver injury, proliferation and inflammation.Chamomile restored the biochemical and molecular parameters and this improvement was more pronounced inmice pretreated with the extract. In conclusion, chamomile extract may exert its hepatoprotective activitiesagainst DMH probably due to the antioxidant, antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory properties of its flavonoids.