Cancer arising in the oral cavity is one of the major causes of mortality worldwide and demands immediate attention. Regardless of the use of advanced treatment for oral cancer, successful treatment resulting in cancer survival is low. Currently available drugs are ineffective and are toxic. Therefore, successful treatment without toxic effects remains essential. This is quite challenging, leading to the identification of natural bioactive compounds for oral cancer treatment. Thus, a plant extract rich in phenolics is preferred for studying the cellular, biochemical and molecular changes associated with oral carcinogenesis.
The present study aims to deal with the above need using Acacia nilotica (L.) leaf extract (AN) and ethyl gallate (EG), a phenolic compound present in AN against oral carcinogenesis. Extension of a tumor cell line to a mouse model was investigated with 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4-NQO) as carcinogen, a surrogate for tobacco. The progression of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was achieved through hyperplasia and dysplasia after 4-NQO induction in Swiss albino mice. Administration of AN and EG to animals undergoing dysplasia led to the inhibition of SCC, thereby reducing the tumor burden. The antioxidant capacity of AN and EG was also brought out via biochemical analysis. Further investigation of biomarkers in tongue tissues revealed the involvement of apoptosis in vivo. Moreover, no adverse or toxic effect was observed earlier in rats upon oral administration of AN and EG. Thus, AN and EG shows strong hope as drugs against oral cancer progression.
