Inflammation is an important risk factor in the development of
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and
colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). Accumulating evidence indicates that some
phytochemicals have anti-
cancer properties.
Polysaccharides extracted from Albuca bracteata (AB) have been reported to possess anti-neoplastic activities on
colorectal cancer (CRC) models. However, it is still unclear whether they exert
therapeutic effects on
colorectal cancer. In this study, we investigate the properties of
polysaccharides of A. bracteate, named ABP. The average molecular weight of ABP was 18.3 kDa and ABP consisted of
glucose,
mannose,
galactose,
xylose,
galacturonic acid,
glucuronic acid at a molar ratio of 37.8:8:2.5:1.7:1:1. An
Azoxymethane/
Dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS) induced CAC mouse model was established. The CAC mice treated with ABP showed smaller
tumor size and lower
tumor incidence than untreated ones. ABP increased anti-inflammatory
cytokine IL-10, inhibited secretion of pro-inflammatory
cytokines (IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α), mitigated oxidative stress by increasing GSH and decreasing MDA levels, suppressed the activation of STAT3 and expressions of its related genes c-Myc and
cyclin D1. Moreover, ABP treatment increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria (f_Ruminococcaceae, g_Roseburia, g_Odoribacter, g_Oscillospira, and g_Akkermansia) and the levels of fecal
short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) in CAC model mice. In summary, our data suggest that ABP could be a potential therapeutic agent for treating CAC.