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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #116887

Title: PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF SELENIUM-ENRICHED BROCCOLI AGAINST MAMMARY CANCER ANDCOLONIC ABERRANT CRYPT FORMATION

Author
item Davis, Cindy
item HINTZE, KORRY - NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV
item WHANGER, P - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item Finley, John

Submitted to: Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/31/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Supplemental selenium, an essential element, reduces the incidence and mortality of several important cancers in humans. Previous reports have demonstrated that high-selenium broccoli is effective for the reduction of chemically-induced colon cancer in experimental animals. The present studies extend the investigation of the anticancer benefits of high- selenium broccoli. One hundred and twenty Fischer-344 rats were randomly assigned to one of 6 dietary treatments. The basal diet was a selenium- deficient torula yeast to which was added selenium in the following amounts and chemical forms: 0.1 ug selenium/g diet as selenite; 0.1 ug selenium/g diet as selenite and low-selenium broccoli sprouts; 2 ug selenium/g diet as high-selenium broccoli; 2 ug selenium/g diet as selenite; 2 ug selenium/g diet as selenite and low-selenium broccoli sprouts; and 2 ug selenium/g diet as high-selenium broccoli sprouts. Animals fed 2.0 ug selenium/g diet supplied as high-selenium broccoli or high-selenium broccoli sprouts had significantly (p<0.05) less dimethylhydrazine-induced aberrant crypt foci formation than rats fed 0.1 or 2 ug selenium/g diet supplied as selenite with or without the addition of low-selenium broccoli. These data provide additional evidence that selenium from high-selenium broccoli is in a form that is especially protective against several important cancers. The effect of selenium- enriched broccoli on cancer susceptibility in the Min mice is also being investigated. Min mice contain germline mutations of the adenomatous polypososis coli (APC) gene. Thus these mice are a good model for the investigation of the effects of dietary alterations on genetic susceptibility for intestinal cancer.