PROJECT RESULTS

Health Related Properties of Yellow Mustard Gum

Applicant: 

Dr. N. A. Michael Eskin

Department of Human Nutritional Sciences

University of Manitoba

Winnipeg, MB  R3T 2N2

Researchers:

Dr. N. A. Michael Eskin and Ranjanna Bird, Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba

ARDI Project:

#00-380

Project Status:

Completed February, 2005

Studies conducted over the past decade identified the unique rheological properties of a gum extracted from yellow mustard.  Subsequently a process was patented for removing the gum from yellow mustard bran with a yield of almost 30% (Cui et al., 2001).  While work is continuing to further understand the functional properties of the gum, such as interaction with plant starches (Liu et al., 2005), the possibility of the gum having health-related properties was explored using the colon cancer model of Dr. Bird.  Two separate experiments were performed, the first using Sprague Dawley rats, while the second phase used Zucker obese rats.  A brief summary of the significant results follows.

Part 1.  Inhibitory Effect of Yellow Mustard Mucilage on the Development of Colonic Aberrant Crypt Foci Induced by the Carcinogen Azoxymethane (AOM) in Male Sprague Dawley Rats

A total of ten Sprague Dawley male rats were used in each treatment, a control plus an experimental group in which an equivalent diet was fed supplemented with 5% mustard mucilage.  The animals were injected with AOM and maintained on a control or an equivalent diet supplemented with 5% yellow mustard gum for total of 8 weeks.  The animals were then terminated and the colons removed and stained for aberrant crypt foci.  There is a clear significant difference in intermediate crypts between the control and mustard-treated groups.  Statistics were performed in SPSS for Windows software with a one-way ANOVA and t-tests.

A close examination of Table 1 shows that mustard treatment resulted in a 33% reduction in intermediate lesions and an 89% decrease in the advance lesions.

Table 1.  Effect of 5% yellow mustard gum on the incidence of Azoxymethane (AOM) -induced colonic Aberrant Crypt Foci (ACF)^a 

^a All values are mean +SE; n = 8 colons/group.

^b Value is significantly different from the corresponding control value, p< 0.05.

Using this model it is evident that yellow mustard gum was a potent inhibitor of colon carcinogenesis by reducing the advanced or precancerous lesions by almost 90%. No effect by yellow mustard gum on cholesterol levels was observed.

Part 2.  Inhibitory Effect of Yellow Mustard Mucilage on Aberrant Crypt Foci in Obese Zucker Rats Treated with Azoxymethane (AOM) and Reduction in Cholesterol

A similar experiment was repeated using Zucker obese rats.  In this case no advanced lesions (that is foci greater than 7+ primal ACF) were observe either in control of experimental group.  Consequently the ACF were classified as small (foci with 1-3 crypts, primal ACF) and large (foci with 4 or more crypts, intermediate and large ACF). The results in Table 2 show that, in comparison to the control, mustard treatment significantly lowered the incidence of total ACF.  In the case of the mustard gum there was a significant reduction in the incidence of total, small and large ACF.  It is evident that mustard was very effective in inhibiting the progression of ACF by a 65% reduction in small ACF, a 60% reduction in large ACF and a 64% reduction in total ACF.  This experiment confirms the potent anticancer properties of mustard gum.  No significant differences were found in blood parameters measured

Table 2.  Effect of mustard mucilage on the incidence of Azoxymethane (AOM) -induced colonic Aberrant Crypt Foci (ACF) in Zucker obese rats^a 

^a All values are means + SE; n = 8 colons/group.

^b Value is significantly different from the corresponding control value, p < 0.05.

Conclusions:

Using the Bird colon cancer model, these results confirm the potent anticancer properties of yellow mustard suggesting its great potential as a nutraceutical.

References:

Cui, W., Eskin, N.A.M., Han, N.F., Duan, Z.Z. and Zhang, X.Y. 2001. Extraction process and use of yellow mustard gum. US Patent No. 6,194,016B1.

Liu, H., Eskin N.A.M. and Cui, S.W. 2005. Effects of yellow mustard mucilage on functional and rheological properties of buckwheat and pea starches. Food Chem. (in press)

Acknowledgement:

This research was made possible through funding from the Governments of Manitoba and Canada through the Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI). 

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