Dietary folate does not significantly affect the intestinal microbiome, inflammation or tumorigenesis in azoxymethane-dextran sodium sulphate-treated mice

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a risk factor for the development of colon cancer. Environmental factors including diet and the microflora influence disease outcome. Folate and homocysteine have been associated with IBD-mediated colon cancer but their roles remain unclear. We used a model of chemically induced ulcerative colitis (dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)) with or without the colon carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM) to determine the impact of dietary folic acid (FA) on colonic microflora and the development of colon tumours. Male mice (n 15 per group) were fed a FA-deficient (0Â mg/kg), control (2Â mg/kg) or FA-supplemented (8Â mg/kg) diet for 12 weeks. Folate status was dependent on the diet (P