protective effect of crocin on dimethylhydrazine-induced colon carcinogenesis in rats

One of the most common tumors to cause death worldwide is colon cancer. dimethylhydrazine (dmh) is widely used as a carcinogen to induce colon cancer in animal models (1). the herbal plants are the richest sources of natural remedies and bioactive compounds used to manage cancer with minimal side effects. crocin is a bioactive compound naturally occurring in some medicinal plants, especially saffron, and has several pharmacological actions, including anti-inflammatory and cancer cell growth inhibitor properties (2). this study aimed to investigate the protective effects of crocin against dmh-induced structural lesions of colon. forty male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=10) being treated intra-peritoneally for 6 weeks including control, crocin (40 mg/kg/day), dmh (30 mg/kg/day), and dmh (30 mg/kg/day) + crocin (40 mg/kg/day) groups. light microscopic examinations of dmh group showed enlarged and hyperchromatic nuclei and high grade dysplastic changes as well as severe lymphocytic infiltration in colon. the dmh + crocin group rats showed regenerated colon architecture and decrease of inflammatory cell infiltration. in conclusion, the results in the present study suggest a potential therapeutic approach of crocin in the prevention of colon carcinogenesis.