Anticarcinogenic effects of Solanum lycopersicum fruit extract on Swiss albino and C57 Bl mice.

In the present studies, the effect of Solanum lycopersicum extract on DMBA induced skin papillomas and B6 F10 melanomas was studied. Topical single application of DMBA at the dose of 4 mg/kg b.wt. followed by 1 % croton oil for 16 weeks produced a 100% incidence of skin papillomas which started appearing from the 6th week onwards. The mice which additionally received S. lycopersicum extract at 0.6 g/kg 2 day/week for 16 weeks showed a significant decrease in the number and incidence of tumors (p<0.05), with a delay in their appearance to week 10. Histopathological examination showed well and poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas in the group which received DMBA + Croton oil treatment whereas hyperkeratosis and hyperplasia were more prevalent in DMBA + Croton oil + Lycopersicum extract treated animals. In a second experiment the effect of cyclophosphamide alone and in combination with S. lycopersicum extract was studied in B16F10 melanoma tumour bearing mice. The inhibition rate was 25.9% in the cyclophosphamide treated group but this increased to 37.7% with S. lycopersicum. The life span of tumour bearing animals was also increased. Thus in two models, S. lycopersicum extract exerted protective potential against skin tumors.