EFFECTS OF ACETONE AND METHANOL EXTRACTS OF Zingiber officinale (ROSCOE) ON SERUM CYCLOOXYGENASE-2 IN N,N′-DIMETHYLHYDRAZINE-INDUCED COLORECTAL CARCINOGENESIS IN WISTAR RATS
MUH’D SAHEED KOLAWOLE ABD-ROUF1, JOHN FANIYI2, ABEEB BABATUNDE JAMIU3, SHUKRAH OPEYEMI ADELEKE-OYELOWO4, BUKOLA ESTHER ALAWODE5, MUSEDIQ BUSARI6, AISHA BOLARINWA ABD-ROUF1, BOLAJI GIDEON OLADAPO1, FRANKLIN FOLASELE AKINOLA7
1 New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, New Mexico, USA.
2 International Foundation Against Infectious Disease in Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria.
3 Federal Medical Center, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.
4 Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
5 Amuwo Odofin Maternity and Child, Lagos State, Nigeria.
6 Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Oyo State, Nigeria.
7 Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Afr. J Pharm Res Dev; Volume 18(2): 873-887; 2026
ABSTRACT
Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks among the leading causes of cancer death worldwide, and overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) contributes substantially to its development. Because conventional COX inhibitors carry significant toxicity, plant-derived alternatives such as ginger (Zingiber officinale) are of interest. We compared acetone and methanol extracts of ginger rhizome for their capacity to lower serum COX-2 in Wistar rats with DMH-induced colorectal carcinogenesis, and measured the antioxidant capacity of each extract. Seventy-two adult male Wistar rats were divided into six groups (n = 12). Colorectal cancer was induced using DMH (20 mg/kg, subcutaneously, once weekly for 18 weeks). Animals received acetone or methanol ginger extracts (300 mg/kg/body weight), administered daily by oral gavage for 21 weeks after completion of DMH induction, while the negative and positive control groups received no extract. Serum COX-2 was quantified by ELISA, and group differences were tested by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. The antioxidant capacity of each extract was determined with the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays. Intestinal tissues were examined macroscopically and colonic sections histologically (haematoxylin and eosin and methylene blue staining). DMH significantly increased COX-2 levels in the positive control group (41.35 ± 0.58 ng/mL) compared to the negative control. Treatment with acetone and methanol extracts significantly reduced COX-2 levels in cancer-induced rats (21.39 ± 0.12 and 20.67 ± 0.22 ng/mL, respectively; p < 0.001 versus positive control), and COX-2 in DMH-induced groups given the methanol extract did not differ significantly from the negative control. The methanol extract demonstrated higher antioxidant activity (TEAC: 73.02 ± 0.01; ORAC: 81,229.50 ± 1.94 µmol Trolox equivalents/100 g) compared to the acetone extract. DMH-induced groups showed intestinal inflammation, aberrant crypt foci and focal mild-to-moderate epithelial dysplasia on macroscopic and histopathological examination. Both acetone and methanol extracts of Zingiber officinale exhibit significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in DMH-induced colorectal cancer, suggesting that ginger is a potential supportive agent against DMH-induced inflammation.
Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Cyclooxygenase-2, Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Anti-inflammatory, DMH, Antioxidant activity.
Correspondence: [email protected]
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59493/ajopred/2026.2.15 | ISSN: 0794-800X (print); 1596-2431 (online)