NATURAL CHEMOPREVENTIVE AGENTS

THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM IS TO TEST AND DISCOVER ANTICARCINOGENS IN ESSENTIAL OILS AND BY-PRODUCTS OF FOOD FLAVORINGS. ESSENTIAL OILS AND BY-PRODUCTS WILL BE TESTED FOR THEIR ABILITY TO ELICIT INCREASED ACTIVITY OF THE DETOXIFYING ENZYME SYSTEM, GLUTATHIONE S-TRANSFERASE, IN THE LIVER AND SMALL INTESTINAL MUCOSA OF MICE. THE SAME MATERIALS WILL BE TESTED FOR THEIR ABILITY TO INCREASE THE ACTIVITY OF THE DRUG METABOLIZING ENZYME, MULTISUBSTRATE MONOOXYGENASE IN THE LIVER OF MICE. USING THE RESULTS FROM THE ENZYME ASSAYS, A CRITERION WILL BE ESTABLISHED SO THAT THE MATERIALS THAT SHOW A CERTAIN ACTIVITY WILL BE CHOSEN AS CANDIDATES FOR ISOLATION OF THE ACTIVE INGREDIENTS(S), AND FOR FURTHER IN VITRO AND IN VIVO TESTING IN THE PHASE IIPROJECT. THE FIRST GOAL OF COMMERCIALIZATION OF THESE COMPOUNDS WILL BE AS RESEARCH CHEMICALS FOR SCIENTISTS INTERESTED IN THE STUDY OF CHEMOPREVENTIVES. THE SECOND GOAL WILL BE THE MARKETING OF THE ANTICARCINOGENS AS DIET SUPPLEMENTS FOR HIGH RISK GROUPS AND THE GENERAL POPULATION.THERE IS INCREASING EVIDENCE THAT DIET COMPONENTS CONTAIN A WIDE VARIETY OF SUBSTANCES THAT MAY INHIBIT CANCER FORMATION. THIS RESEARCH PROJECT AIMS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GOAL OF REDUCING CANCER THROUGH CHEMOPREVENTION.