ABSTRACT
Chemopreventive activity of Phyllanthus amarus Schum & Thonn (Euphorbiaceae) extract was studied with regard to N-methyl N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) induced stomach cancer in Wistar rats. Administration of the extract with MNNG significantly reduced the incidence of gastric neoplasms in rats (44%) as well as their numbers. Moreover, elevated levels of enzymes in the stomach were found to be reduced by P. amarus administration. For example, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity was decreased from 20.3 +/- 6.7 mmol/min/mg protein to almost normal levels (2.8 +/- 0.9) by 750 mg/kg body weight of the extract. Similarly glutathione S-transferase activity (1317.6 +/- 211 n mol/min/mg protein) and glutathione reductase (368 +/- 66) levels in the MNNG treated group were found to be lowered to 494.8 +/- 76 and 192 +/- 45, respectively, while reduced glutathione (GSH) was increased from 4.6+/- 0.9 to 8.5+/-1.4 n mol/min/mg protein. AgNOR dots and clusters, indicators of cellular proliferation, which were increased by MNNG treatment, became near to normal in P. amarus treated animals.