Anticarcinogenic Effects of Solanum lycopersicum Fruit Extract on Swiss Albino and C57 Bl Mice

In the present studies, the effect of Solanum lycopersicum extract on DMBA induced skin papillomas and B6F10 melanomas was studied. Topical single application of DMBA at the dose of 4 mg/kg b.wt. followed by 1 %croton oil for 16 weeks produced a 100% incidence of skin papillomas which started appearing from the 6thweek onwards. The mice which additionally received S. lycopersicum extract at 0.6 g/kg 2 day/week for 16 weeksshowed a significant decrease in the number and incidence of tumors (p< 0.05), with a delay in their appearanceto week 10. Histopathological examination showed well and poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas inthe group which received DMBA + Croton oil treatment whereas hyperkeratosis and hyperplasia were moreprevalent in DMBA + Croton oil + Lycopersicum extract treated animals. In a second experiment the effect ofcyclophosphamide alone and in combination with S. lycopersicum extract was studied in B16F10 melanomatumour bearing mice. The inhibition rate was 25.9% in the cyclophosphamide treated group but this increasedto 37.7%with S. lycopersicum. The life span of tumour bearing animals was also increased. Thus in two models,S. lycopersicum extract exerted protective potential against skin tumors.