IN VITRO EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES AND CHEMOPREVENTIVE POTENTIAL OF DILLENIA INDICA LINN FRUIT ON DMBA INDUCED SKIN PAPILLOMAGENESIS IN MICE

Dillenia indica linn fruit, commonly known as elephant apple has indigenous use in various culinary dishes of Assam and it has a history of being used as traditional medicine. The present study was undertaken to evaluate its antioxidant and chemopreventive properties. Ethanolic extract of Dillenia indica fruit was used as experimental sample. Antioxidant activity was studied in vitro, at concentrations (20µg/ml, 40µg/ml ,60µg/ml, 80µg/ml, 100µg/ml) where it showed  significant (p<0.05) inhibition of free radicals formation, hydroxyl radical and nitric oxide scavenging property and also reducing ability when compared with a standard antioxidant, ascorbic acid. Chemopreventive potential was evaluated in 8-10 weeks old swiss albino mice by giving a single tropical application of initiator- 7,12-dimethylbenza(α)anthracene (DMBA) at a concentration of 100µg/100µl acetone and promotion after 14 days  by repeated application of  croton oil (1% in acetone) thrice a week for 15 weeks. Oral application of D.indica at dose of 250 mg/kg body weight of mice selected after acute oral toxicity test, showed significant (p<0.05) reduction in DMBA induced mice skin papillomagenesis in (i) post-initiation group (oral dose given on the day of promotion) and (ii) pre+post initiation group (oral dose given 7 days before initiation and continued till the end of experiment). There was reduction in the total papilloma count, tumor yield, tumor burden and tumor incidence when compared with carcinogen control group. Inhibition of tumor formation upto 88.3% was found after 15 weeks of treatment which clearly shows the antitumor property of Dillenia indica fruit