Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks the sixth position among various cancers worldwide. Recent research shows that natural and dietary compounds possess many therapeutic effects. Citral is a monoterpene aldehyde that contains geranial and neral. The present study was considered to study the role of citral against N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA)-induced HCC via modulation of antioxidants and xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in vivo. NDEA-alone-administered group II animals profoundly showed increased tumor incidence, reactive oxygen species, liver marker enzyme levels, serum bilirubin levels, tumor markers of carcinoembryonic antigen, α-fetoprotein, proliferative markers of argyrophilic nucleolar organizing regions, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expressions, phase I xenobiotic-metabolic enzymes and simultaneously decreased antioxidants, and phase II enzymes levels. Citral (100 mg/kg b.w.) treatment significantly reverted the levels in group III cancer-bearing animals when compared to group II cancer-bearing animals. In group IV animals, citral-alone administration did not produce any adverse effect during the experimental condition. Based on the results, citral significantly inhibits the hepatocellular carcinogenesis through restoring the antioxidants and phase II xenobiotic-enzyme levels; thereby, it strongly proves as an antiproliferative agent against rat HCC.

中文翻译：

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柠檬醛通过调节抗氧化剂和异生物质代谢酶抑制 N-亚硝基二乙胺诱导的肝细胞癌

肝细胞癌（HCC）在全球各种癌症中排名第六。最近的研究表明，天然和膳食化合物具有许多治疗作用。柠檬醛是一种单萜醛，含有香叶醛和橙花醛。本研究被认为是通过调节体内抗氧化剂和异生物质代谢酶来研究柠檬醛对 N-亚硝基二乙胺 (NDEA) 诱导的 HCC 的作用。单独服用 NDEA 的 II 组动物显着增加了肿瘤发生率、活性氧、肝脏标志物酶水平、血清胆红素水平、癌胚抗原肿瘤标志物、甲胎蛋白、嗜银核仁组织区增殖标志物、增殖细胞核抗原（ PCNA) 表达、I 期异生物质代谢酶和同时减少的抗氧化剂，和 II 期酶水平。与第 II 组患癌动物相比，柠檬醛 (100 毫克/千克体重) 治疗显着恢复了第 III 组患癌动物的水平。在第 IV 组动物中，单独使用柠檬醛在实验条件下没有产生任何副作用。根据结果​​，柠檬醛通过恢复抗氧化剂和 II 期异生素酶水平显着抑制肝细胞癌变；因此，它有力地证明了它是一种抗大鼠 HCC 的抗增殖剂。柠檬醛通过恢复抗氧化剂和 II 期异生素酶水平显着抑制肝细胞癌变；因此，它有力地证明了它是一种抗大鼠 HCC 的抗增殖剂。柠檬醛通过恢复抗氧化剂和 II 期异生素酶水平显着抑制肝细胞癌变；因此，它有力地证明了它是一种抗大鼠 HCC 的抗增殖剂。