Protective role of chickpea seed coat fibre on N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced toxicity in hypercholesterolemic rats
Introduction
N-nitrosamines including N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) are one of the important groups of carcinogens frequently present in human environment and food chain that pose a significant human health hazard (Aiub et al., 2003). Presence of these nitroso compounds, including NDEA, has been widely reported in various foodstuffs such as milk products, meat products, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages (Tricker et al., 1991; Prasad and Krishnaswamy, 1994; van Maanen et al., 1998; Levallois et al., 2000). Although the occurrence and concentration of these nitrosamines in common dietary items have been reduced considerably in the Western countries due to changes in the manufacturing procedures, processing and/or ingredients, their dietary levels in developing countries is still substantially high (Hotchkiss, 1989). In addition to this, tobacco usage in the developed as well as in the developing world is also one of the biggest causes for individual exposure to nitrosamines (Wu et al., 2005). Presence of these nitroso compounds in the diet together with the possibility of their endogenous formation in the human body by reaction of nitrite with amines and amides (Masuda et al., 2000; Ohsawa et al., 2003) has been of great concern since they are suggested to cause oxidative stress and cellular injury due to the involvement of reactive oxygen species (Bartsch et al., 1989; Bansal et al., 2005). In vitro studies from our lab in rat and human erythrocytes have shown that NDEA exposure increases lipid peroxidation (LPO) and decreases the activity of antioxidant enzymes (Bansal et al., 1996; Bansal and Bhatnagar, 1998). It is a well-known fact that oxygen-free radicals and related lipid peroxides also play a key role in the pathogenesis of normal senescence and of age-related chronic degenerative diseases, including atherosclerosis (Stocker and Keaney Jr, 2004; Maxwell and Lip, 1997). Hypercholesterolemia is known to be one of the major risk factors of atherosclerosis, which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease, a major cause of premature deaths in the world (Maxwell, 2000).
The preventive and therapeutic benefits of dietary fibre including chickpea seed coat fibre against hypercholesterolemia are well known as a variety of epidemiological, animal and human studies have shown over the years (Gardner et al., 2005; Pittaway et al., 2004; Jenkins et al., 2003; Chu and Hanson, 2000). Dietary fibre, a component of food that resists the action of digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract, reduces the rate of diffusion of the products of digestion towards absorptive surfaces (Bennett and Cerda, 1996). Scavenger action of fibre may lead to removal or slowing down of absorption of nitroso compounds such as NDEA, which in turn may reduce the risk of their toxic effects. We have already shown in our previous work, the toxicity of NDEA under hypercholesterolemic dietary conditions (Mittal et al., 2006). We now report the protective effect of chickpea seed coat fibre against this NDEA-induced toxicity and oxidative stress in hypercholesterolemic experimental rats.
Section snippets
Materials and methods
All the chemicals used in the present study were of analytical grade. NDEA was purchased from Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, MO, USA. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seed coat was procured from the local market. Fibre was prepared by the method as described by Mann et al. (2001).
Animal experiments were approved by the Social Justice and Empowerment Committee for the purpose of control and supervision of experiments on animals, Ministry of Government of India, New Delhi. Disease-free male
Results
Oral administration of NDEA to experimental rats under hypercholesterolemic conditions resulted in substantial decrease in feed intake, which improved with addition of chickpea seed coat fibre in the diet. A decrease in body weight was observed, which can be attributed to the decreased food intake (Table 1). NDEA administration also resulted in a significant hepatic degeneration as evident by a significant decrease in liver weight index (Table 1). However, the degenerative effects of NDEA were
Discussion
Although nitrosamines are known carcinogenic agents, their mechanism of action is not very well understood. Nitrosamines such as NDEA have been suggested to cause oxidative stress and cellular injury due to involvement of free radicals (Bansal et al., 2005; Bartsch et al., 1989). The free radicals initiate LPO, causing oxidative deterioration of the membrane lipids and other biomolecules (Gebicki et al., 2000; Spickett et al., 2000; Horton and Fairhust, 1987). NDEA has been shown to be
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Head, Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry for providing necessary facilities for the study, and to Mr. Avtar Singh for technical help.
References (45)
- et al.
N-nitrosodiethylamine mutagenicity at low concentrations
Toxicol Lett
(2003) - et al.
In vitro effect of N-nitrosodiethylamine on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant system in human erythrocytes
Toxicol In Vitro
(1996) - et al.
Protective role of vitamin E pre-treatment on N-nitrosodiethylamine induced oxidative stress in rat liver
Chem–Biol Interact
(2005) - et al.
Carcinogenic nitrosamines: free radical aspects of their action
Free Radic Biol Med
(1989) - et al.
Long-term treatment of hypercholesterolemia with dietary fiber
Am J Med
(1994) - et al.
Effects of cadmium on glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and lipid peroxidation in the rat heart: a possible mechanism of cadmium cardiotoxicity
Toxicol Appl Pharmacol
(1985) - et al.
The effect of combining plant sterols, soy protein, viscous fibers, and almonds in treating hypercholesterolemia
Metabolism
(2003) - et al.
Excretion of volatile nitrosamines in a rural population in relation to food and drinking water consumption
Food Chem Toxicol
(2000) - et al.
Detection of in vivo genotoxicity of endogenously formed N-nitroso compounds and suppression by ascorbic acid, teas and fruit juices
Mutat Res
(2003) - et al.
Mean daily intake of volatile N-nitrosamines from foods and beverages in West Germany in 1989–90
Food Chem Toxicol
(1991)
Catalase
Lipid peroxidation induced by N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in rats in vivo and in isolated hepatocytes
Free Radic Res Commun
In vitro effect of N-nitrosodiethylamine on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in rat erythrocytes
Fresenius Environ Bull
Hepatic and renal oxidative stress in acute toxicity of N-nitrosodiethylamine in rats
Indian J Exp Biol
Benefits of dietary fiber. Myth or medicine?
Postgrad Med
Dietary fiber and coronary artery disease
World Med J
Assay for peroxidase
Practical haematology
Free radicals and antioxidants in human health: current status and future prospects
J Assoc Physician India
Free radicals in the physiological control of cell function
Physiol Rev
The effect of a plant-based diet on plasma lipids in hypercholesterolemic adults: a randomized trial
Ann Intern Med
Cited by (12)
Other Uses of Chickpea
2023, Sustainable Food Science - A Comprehensive Approach: Volumes 1-4A food composition database for assessing nitrate intake from plant-based foods
2022, Food ChemistryCitation Excerpt :In addition, dietary fibre in fruit and vegetables can modulate many carcinogenic factors through multiple mechanisms (Key, Bradbury, Perez-Cornago, Sinha, Tsilidis, & Tsugane, 2020; Lattimer & Haub, 2010). For example, dietary fibre can change the bio-accessibility and diffusion of food compounds (including nitrate, nitrite and their metabolites) to reduce NOCs formation and absorption (Mittal, Vadhera, Brar, & Soni, 2009). The natural uptake and accumulation of nitrate in plant tissues is affected by many factors such as genotype, growth conditions (soil conditions, photoperiod and light intensity, humidity, temperature, fertilisation, etc.), as well as harvest, storage, and processing conditions (Bian et al., 2020; EFSA, 2008).
Indian pulses: A review on nutritional, functional and biochemical properties with future perspectives
2019, Trends in Food Science and TechnologyCitation Excerpt :The carcinogen azoxymethane induces abnormal cryptic foci which are significantly inhibited in rats supplemented with chickpea flour (10%), suggesting that saponins are one of the factors responsible for the decrease in lesions. Dietary supplementation with chickpea seed coat fibre decreases the toxic effects (reduction of lipid peroxidation level) induced by N-nitrosodiethylamine (Mittal et al., 2009). Diabetes is a common metabolic disorder prevalent worldwide, which is mainly due to insulin deficiency.
Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): A review
2012, British Journal of NutritionHerbal medicine for cardiovascular disease in view of Avicenna
2023, Medicinal Plants used in Traditional Persian MedicineBioactive Profile and Antioxidant Properties of Chickpea and Cowpea
2023, Chickpea and Cowpea: Nutritional Profile, Processing, Health Prospects and Commercial Uses