ABSTRACT
Chemoprevention is a strategy to reduce the incidence of human cancer either by inhibiting initiation of carcinogenesis or by preventing exposure to carcinogens, by the use of plant or animal derived ingredients. In the present study we investigated the anticlastogenic effect of ethanol extract of Ulva fasciata, a green seaweed, against the chromosomal aberration and micronucleus induced by the anticancer drugs cyclophosphamide and mitomycin C. Three doses of extract (25, 50 and 75 mg/kg.b.w) was given by oral gavage for 5 days at 24 hr. intervals and on the 5th day, CP (25 and 50mg/kg.b.w) or MMC (1 and 2mg/kg.b.w) were intraperitoneally injected and 24hrs. later micronucleus and chromosomal aberrations assays were performed. Our results show that Ulva extract gave significant protection against the CP and MMC induced damages by reducing micronucleus and chromosomal aberrations. The protection imparted by Ulva could be due to the synergistic and/or additive effects of biologically active ingredients present in the seaweed.
