This study aimed to determine the alleviating effect of broccoli grown with deep sea water mineral (DSWM) fertilizer extracted from deep sea water on the development of colorectal cancer in C57BL/6N mice treated with AOM/DSS. Naturaldream Fertilizer Broccoli (NFB) cultured with deep sea water minerals (DSWM) showed a higher antioxidant effect and mineral content. In addition, orally administered NFB, showed a level of recovery in the colon and spleen tissues of mice compared with those in normal mice through hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Orally administered NFB showed the inhibition of the expression of inflammatory cytokine factors IL-1β, IL-6, TNF, IFN-γ, and IL-12 while increasing the expression of IL-10. Furthermore, the expression of inflammatory cytokines and NF-κB in the liver tissue was inhibited, and that of inflammatory enzymes, such as COX-2 and iNOS, was reduced. In the colon tissue, the expression of p53 and p21 associated with cell cycle arrest increased, and that of Bcl-2 associated with apoptosis decreased. Additionally, the expression of Bax, Bad, Bim, Bak, caspase 9, and caspase 3 increased, indicating enhanced activation of apoptosis-related factors. These results demonstrate that oral administration of broccoli cultivated using DSWM significantly restores spleen and colon tissues and simultaneously inhibits the NF-κB pathway while significantly decreasing cytokine expression. Moreover, by inducing cell cycle arrest and activating cell apoptosis, they also suggest alleviating AOM/DSS-induced colon cancer symptoms in C57BL/6N mice.
Keywords: anticancer; broccoli; colon cancer; cultivation; deep sea water minerals.