Curcumin's effects on sialic acid level and sialidase activity in Ehrlich ascites tumor bearing mice

Abstract

In this study, we determined curcumin's anticancer and chemopreventive effects in mice bearing Ehrlich ascites tumor by evaluation of cancer biomarkers, sialic acid level and sialidase activity. Both plasma sialic acid level and sialidase activity increased significantly in the mice group with Ehrlich ascites tumor. When the tumor groups fed with curcumin and fed with sesame oil were compared, sialic acid level and sialidase activity in ascites fluid significantly reduced in the group fed with curcumin in addition to the increases of plasma sialic acid level and sialidase activity. The tumor group fed with curcumin lived twice longer than the one fed with sesame oil. Curcumin as a phenolic compound decreased all these parameters in Ehrlich ascites tumors and lengthened survival by 88% in the mice with tumor. We concluded that curcumin has anticancer activity. © 2002 Tohoku University Medical Press.