A study by the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) has demonstrated that cinnamon and its active components - cinnamaldehyde & procyanidin B2 — administered orally to rats had an inhibitory effect on early-stage prostate cancer.
The study titled ‘Chemopreventive effect of cinnamon and its bioactive compounds in a rat model of premalignant prostate carcinogenesis’ published in the international peer reviewed journal Cancer Prevention Research aimed to assess the chemopreventive efficacy of cinnamon (CN) and its bioactive compounds (cinnamaldehyde or procyanidin B2) in vivo in male rats. A release issued by NIN said that as part of this study, adult rats were given cinnamon or its bioactive compounds through the diet before induction of cancer and the rats were fed for 16 weeks.
“It was observed that feeding cinnamon or its active compounds resulted in 60-70% of rats showing normal prostate histologically,” noted the release.
“We tried to decipher the probable mechanism(s) for the chemo-preventive effect and observed that cinnamon and its active components could mitigate oxidative stress, decrease spread of cancer cells in the prostate gland. Interestingly, we also observed beneficial effects on bone mineral content and decrease in bone degeneration in these rats”, said Dr Ayesha Ismail, scientist F and Head of Endocrinology Division, who led the study.
“It is encouraging to see these results from cinnamon, an Indian spice, which is commonly used in our cuisine. However, these outcomes warrant more detailed studies before any dietary recommendation can be made.”, said Dr Hemalatha R, Director, ICMR-NIN.
