Araticum (Annona crassiflora Mart.) seed extract delayed prostate cancer progression in the TRAMP model

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men and the fifth most common cause of death in population in 2022. It is estimated that prostate cancer will be the main cause of death and a barrier to increase the life expectancy in different countries. Bioactive compounds from in plants are attractive chemopreventive agents. Araticum (Annona crassiflora Mart.) is a fruit from the Brazilian cerrado bioma, containing different bioactive substances, which have shown efficacy in the prevention and treatment of various diseases through several cellular mechanisms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphological effects of araticum seed extract (ASE) administration on transgenic mice with prostate adenocarcinoma (TRAMP). Twenty male TRAMP mice, aged 8 and 12 weeks, were divided into four groups: two groups treated with a 100 mg ASE/kg body weight dose and two control groups, which received the same amount of water and DMSO corresponding to the doses, used in the treated groups. After four weeks of treatment, animals were euthanized, and samples of the dorsolateral lobes of the prostate were taken for morphological analysis. ASE treatment significantly increased the frequency of healthy epithelium in the animals during both treatment periods. In the 12-week-old animals, there was a reduction in both low-grade and high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplastic (PIN) lesions. In the older animals (16 weeks), there was no change in low-grade PIN lesions. However, ASE decreased the incidence of high-grade PIN lesions compared to the respective control groups. Additionally, there was a lower incidence of undifferentiated adenocarcinoma in the T16 group (1.94%) compared to the control group (6.31%). As a conclusion, ASE showed to mitigate the prostate cancer progression in the TRAMP model, as well as protecting healthy prostate tissues.