Study of the effect of ‘Ataulfo’ mango (Mangifera indica L.) intake on mammary carcinogenesis and antioxidant capacity in plasma of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-treated rats

The effect of ‘Ataulfo’ mango consumption on chemically induced mammary carcinogenesis and plasma antioxidant capacity in rats treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) was studied. Mango was administered in the drinking water (0.02–0.06 g/mL) during both short-term and long-term (LT) periods to rats treated or not with MNU. Rats treated with MNU showed no differences in mammary carcinogenesis or in plasma antioxidant capacity measured by both ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) and total oxyradical scavenging capacity assays. However, in animals not treated with MNU but with a LT intake of mango the plasma antioxidant capacity as measured by the FRAP assay tended to increase in a dose-dependent manner. This suggests that mango consumption by healthy subjects may increase antioxidants in plasma.