BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have reported a low incidence of colon cancer in countries with high legume consumption. Moreover, experimental studies have found that legumes, such as soybeans and pinto beans, have anticancer properties. While garbanzo beans are a rich source of various phytochemicals, they have not been well studied. In the present study, the azoxymethane (AOM)-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in CF-1 mice was utilized as a model to assess and compare the effects of garbanzo flour to that of soy flour. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty, 5-week-old CF-1 mice were divided into four groups of 5 animals each: 10% garbanzo, 10% soy, 10% mixed (soy and garbanzo flours), and control (rodent chow). Animals received subcutaneous injections of AOM (10-mg/kg B. W.) once a week for two weeks to induce ACF. At week ten, the animals were sacrificed and the colons were scored. RESULTS: There was a 64% (p <0.001) suppression of ACF for animals fed the garbanzo flour, versus an inhibition of 58 and 55% (p<0.001) for the soy and mixed flour groups, respectively. DISCUSSION: These results demonstrate that garbanzo beans possess bioactive compounds capable of inhibiting the formation of pre-cancerous lesions in mice and suggest that, like soybeans, their consumption contributes to a reduction in colon cancer incidence.

N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) is one of the important carcinogenic nitrosamines frequently present in human environment and food chain that poses a significant human health hazard. This study was planned to investigate the protective role of dietary fibre on NDEA-induced toxicity in hypercholesterolemic rats. Oral administration of NDEA at a dose of 100mg/kg diet to experimental rats under hypercholesterolemic conditions evoked severe biochemical and pathological changes. Supplementation of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seed coat fibre in the diet along with NDEA reduced its biochemical and pathological effects. There was a reduction in the hepatotoxic effects of NDEA as evidenced by decreased hepatic degeneration and improved liver weight index. Administration of NDEA resulted in a significant increase in the osmotic fragility of erythrocytes. The antioxidant activity of experimental animals decreased in the NDEA-fed group, which was evident by increased in vitro lipid peroxidation (LPO) of erythrocytes. However, chickpea seed coat fibre considerably reduced the peroxidative damage done by NDEA. Administration of NDEA also resulted in a significant increase in LPO in all the tissues to a varying degree, although the effect on antioxidant potential was variable in different tissues. However, chickpea seed coat fibre reduced the effect of NDEA on LPO and antioxidant potential of various tissues, providing reasonable protection against NDEA-induced oxidative stress and hence its toxicity. Histopathological analysis of different tissues (heart, liver and lungs) showed decrease in the severity of pathological changes among the experimental animals when they were given NDEA along with chickpea seed coat fibre in the diet as compared with giving NDEA alone. Our study therefore, emphasizes the importance of including dietary fibre in the diet, in combating the ill-effects of nitrosamines such as NDEA, particularly on the antioxidant status of the body.

Bengal gram seed coat appeared to be a potent hypocholesterolemic/hypolipidemic agent in rabbits. When fed to hypercholesterolemic rabbits, it lowered hepatic cholesterol/lipid much more than in the control group. Aortic lipid levels were rather marginally increased but the increase was less in Bengal gram seed coat fed rabbits. Though seed coat of Bengal gram failed to prevent the development of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic rabbits, but certainly it slowed down the process of its development. The hypocholesterolemic action of Bengal gram seed coat appeared to be due to the increased catabolism and excretion of cholesterol.