The present study is designed to investigate the effect of
piperine in modifying the carcinogenic process, as well as biochemical alterations at the molecular level during DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch
carcinogenesis by FT-IR spectroscopy. Specific changes were noticed in the FT-IR spectral features of DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch
carcinoma. These alterations include structural changes of
proteins and possible increase of its content, an increase in the nuclear-to-cytoplasm ratio, an increase in the relative amount of
DNA, an enhancement in the phosphorylation of
proteins, a loss of hydrogen bonding of the C-
OH groups in the
amino acid residues of
proteins and diminished lipid peroxidation which were accompanied by a significant reduction in the relative amount of
lipids compared to untreated control animals. Administration of
piperine significantly increased the levels of lipid peroxidation and decreased the levels of
proteins and
nucleic acid content that were found to increase in
oral cancer bearing animals. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that
piperine may exert its chemopreventive effect by modulating the biochemical changes at the molecular level during DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch
carcinogenesis which can be detected using FT-IR spectroscopic technique.