ABSTRACT
Objective: The exploration of the anticancer potential of polysaccharide isolated from the methanolic extract of Tinospora cordifolia (T. cordifolia) stem bark against breast cancer in DMBA-induced female albino Wistar rat models were examined by various hematological parameters. Methods: Analysis of Red blood cell (RBC), White blood cell (WBC) and platelet level, Tumor markers Carcino Embryonic Antigen (CEA) and Cancer Antigen 15.3 (CA 15.3) in the serum, was done in the normal, cancer and compound treated rats using specific kits. Histological studies were performed to examine the changes in the tissue morphology and cell patterns in breast tissue. Results: The decreased levels of RBC, WBC and platelets in 7,12-Dimethylbenz [a] anthracene (DMBA)-induced breast cancer (Group III) animals were revived to the normal conditions in polysaccharide treated breast cancer (Group IV) animals as that of normal (Group I). The level of tumor markers CEA and CA 15.3, was found elevated in serum of DMBA-induced breast cancer groups (Group III) when compared to their levels in the normal groups (Group I) whereas polysaccharide treatment (Group IV) prevented this rise in the levels of tumor markers. The histological studies on the breast tissue samples of all the groups showed the appropriate features where the normal (Group I) animals were characterized with normal cells uniformly arranged without any change in orientation and morphology, DMBA-induced cancer (Group III) animals showed an improper orientation of cells arranged as glandular structures, as nest, or cords of various sizes or as solid sheets foci of necrosis in some areas with margins infiltrating, pushing, circumcised or mixed and the polysaccharide treated (Group IV) animals showed results resembling that of the normal (Group I) animals. Conclusion: Thus, polysaccharide is proved as an effective chemo preventive agent against breast cancer.