Green coffee extract (Coffea canephora) improved the intestinal barrier and slowed colorectal cancer progression and its associated inflammation in rats

Background and aim

Cancer is directly associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. Thanks to its antioxidant activity, green coffee may have anticarcinogenic effects. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of an aqueous green coffee extract on local colorectal morphophysiological and systemic inflammatory and oxidative changes in an animal model of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods

CRC was induced in male Wistar rats for 5 weeks by dimethylhydrazine. After 10 weeks of carcinogenesis, the rats were divided: Healthy Control (HC, without cancer induction and without extract), Colorectal Cancer (CRC, with cancer induction and without extract), Health Green Coffee (HGC, without cancer induction and with extract) and colorectal cancer treatment with Green Coffee (CGC, with cancer induction and with extract) groups. The data were analyzed using the Student’s t-test or ANOVA and the Newman-Keuls post-hoc test (p < 0.05).

Results

Green coffee extract was source of caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and trigonelline that had in silico interaction with NF-κB. This extract contributed to the intestinal barrier integrity by decreasing lactulose and mannitol urinary excretion, increasing fecal IgA levels and reducing malignant tumors in the colon and rectum. In addition, it reduced the systemic production of the inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-6. However, green coffee extract had no effect on aberrant crypt foci (ACF) or colonic pH and no difference was found in oxidative changes.

Conclusions

Green coffee extract has intestinal benefits, through the action of its bioactive compounds in the microenvironment of the neoplastic lesion, thereby opening research avenues for new studies.