Objective of the study is to evaluate the modifying potential of p-methoxycinnamic acid (p-MCA), an active rice bran phenolic acid on biotransforming bacterial enzymes and xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced rat colon carcinogenesis. 48 male albino wistar rats were divided into six groups. Group1 (control) received modified pellet diet and 0.1 % carboxymethylcellulose; group2 received modified pellet diet along with p-MCA (80 mg/kg b.wt. p.o.) everyday for 16 weeks; groups 3-6 received 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) (20 mg/kg b.wt.) subcutaneous injection once a week for the first 4 weeks, while groups 4-6 received p-MCA at three different doses of 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg b.wt. p.o. everyday for 16 weeks. A significant increase in carcinogen-activating enzymes (cytochrome P450, cytochrome b5, cytochrome P4502E1, NADH-cytochrome-b5-reductase and NADPH-cytochrome-P450 reductase) with concomitant decrease in phaseII enzymes, DT-Diaphorase, glutathione S-transferase, UDP-glucuronyl-transferase and gamma glutamyltransferase were observed in group3 compared to control. DMH treatment significantly increased the activities of feacal and colonic bacterial enzymes (β-glucosidase, β-galactosidase, β-glucuronidase, nitroreductase, sulphatase and mucinase). p-MCA supplementation (40 mg/kg b.wt) to carcinogen exposed rats inhibited these enzymes, which were near those of control rats. The formation of dysplastic aberrant crypt foci in the colon and the histopathological observations of the liver also supports our biochemical findings. p-MCA (40 mg/kg b.wt.) offers remarkable modulating efficacy of biotransforming bacterial and xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes in colon carcinogenesis.

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