To investigate the protective effect of leaf extract of Solanum trilobatum (ELEST) against benzo(a)pyrene (BP) induced lung carcinogenesis.

Experiment was designed with the treatment regimen of ELEST [200mg/kg body weight dissolved in dimethyl sulphoxide(DMSO)] for 4weeks before (pre-initiation) and from 12th week after B(a)P (50mg/kg body weight) induced lung carcinoma(post-initation).

Administration of BP (50mg/kg body weight) resulted in increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) and marker enzymes, such as arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γGT), 5′-nucleotidase (5′ND) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) along with decrease in the levels of tissue antioxidants, like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH), vitamin E and vitamin C in mice. Significantly, ELEST modulated these alterations suggest the efficacy of ELEST in the chemotherapeutics of lung cancer. The histopathological studies also evidenced the protective efficiency of the extract against lung carcinogenesis. Further, significant increase in the levels of Cytochrome P₄₅₀, Cytochrome b₅, NADPH Cyt c reductase and decrease in UDP-glucuronyl transferase and quinone reductase was observed in microsomal fraction of lung and liver of BP-induced mice, whereas the treatment with ELEST resulted in reversal of modulations observed in the activities of detoxification enzymes.

Collectively, the present observations indicate that the treatment with ELEST exhibited protective and antioxidant effect against BP-induced lung carcinogenesis.