Abstract
Dietary habits are known to be the major contributory factor in the development of cancer. Mustard oil, which is extensively used in India and elsewhere as a frying and cooking medium, is reported to induce an inflammatory response. The development of altered hepatic foci is an early carcinogenic change in rat liver in diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. In the present study, the development of preneoplastic lesions was observed following administration of mustard oil (0.5 mL/day for 8 weeks) in DEN-initiated and partially hepatomized Wistar rats. A significant decrease in the relative and absolute liver weight of mustard oil-exposed rats was recorded. The results revealed a significant increase in the number and area of placental glutathione S-transferase (GST-P) and g-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT)-positive foci in mustard oil-administered animals. The GST-P and GGT-positive foci were more prominent in the animals given boiled (up to 3008C for 3 hours) mustard oil in comparison to the animals given fresh mustard oil. These results indicate the possible tumourigenic risk associated with mustard oil consumption.
