The Effects of Foods on Cell Damage Study

Randomised 6-week, Parallel Group, Placebo Controlled Intervention Trial to Investigate the Effects of White Carrots on Inflammatory Markers and Lymphocyte DNA Damage

Studies have shown that certain compounds inside vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer. Carrots in particular have an association with reduced incidence of colorectal, bladder and breast cancer. Compounds in carrots, called polyacetylenes, have been studied in isolated cells that have shown a reduction in cancer cells as well as inflammatory markers which have been associated with an increased risk of cancer. These polyacetylenes have not been well studied in the human body and it is unclear whether they are able to affect the biomarkers of health (disease) including DNA damage and inflammatory markers. The aim of this research project is to determine whether eating a portion of white carrots every day for 6 weeks can lead to a reduction in DNA damage and inflammatory markers compared to a control period of 6 weeks consuming a polyacetylene-free diet and a control food of a high fibre oat biscuit.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Inflammation; DNA Damage
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Oat biscuits; Dietary supplement: White carrots

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 38
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Tyne and Wear
    • Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom, NE1 7RU
      • Agriculture Building, Newcastle University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 45 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Non -smokers
• BMI between 18.5 and 30

Exclusion Criteria:

• smoking
• taking anti-inflammatories
• taking aspirin or aspirin-like drugs
• antibiotic use in the last 3 months
• metabolic conditions or conditions affecting the metabolism or digestion

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Oat biscuits; Participants will eat 3 oat biscuits per day for 6 weeks	Dietary supplement: Oat biscuits; The 3 oat biscuits contain the same amount of fibre and sugar as the white carrot but without the polyacetylenes.
Experimental: White Carrots; Participants will eat 100g (cooked weight) of white carrots per day for 6 weeks	Dietary supplement: White carrots; White carrots contain compounds called polyacetylenes, including falcarinol, falcarindiol and falcarindiol-3-acetate.; Other Names: falcarindiol; falcarindiol-3-acetate; Falcarinol

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in lymphocyte DNA damage from baseline after 6 weeks of carrot or oat supplementation in the diet, and after 6 weeks wash out (no carrots or oats).	Lymphocyte DNA damage will be measured by comet assay. Comet 'tail length' represents the number of single strand breaks in the DNA that leave the nucleus when the cells undergo electrophoresis - the longer the 'tail' the more strand breaks. Tail length will be measured from lymphocyte DNA samples at baseline, after 6 weeks of the intervention period and again after 6 weeks of the wash out period. Statistical analysis will compare the extent of damage after supplementation of carrots or oats in the diet (intervention period) to damage at baseline and to damage after the wash out period.	Baseline measures then 2 periods of 6 weeks (baseline, intervention and wash out)
Change in inflammation from baseline after 6 weeks of carrot or oat supplementation in the diet, and after 6 weeks wash out.	Inflammatory markers (blood CRP, TNF-alpha, IL-6 and urine PE2M) will be measured by ELISA assay. at baseline, after 6 weeks of the intervention period and again after 6 weeks of the wash out period. Statistical analysis will compare the inflammation levels after supplementation of carrots or oats in the diet (intervention period) to inflammation at baseline and inflammation after the wash out period.	Baseline measures then 2 periods of 6 weeks (baseline, intervention and wash out)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Analysis of faecal water from baseline after 6 weeks of carrot or oat supplementation in the diet, and after 6 weeks wash out to determine toxicity to colon epithelial cells.	Faecal samples will be collected at baseline, after intervention and after wash-out. Faecal water will be removed from the samples and used in cell culture with colon epithelial cells. After culture, the cells will undergo comet assay to determine the amount of strand breaks that occur in each of the three treatments. Tail length will be measured from colon epithelial cell DNA samples from baseline, intervention period and the wash out period samples. Statistical analysis will compare the extent of damage to epithelial cells after exposure to faecal water made during supplementation of carrots or oats in the diet (intervention period) to damage with baseline and wash out period faecal water.	Baseline measures then 2 periods of 6 weeks (baseline, intervention and wash out)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Newcastle University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Kirsten Brandt, Newcastle University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2015
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2016
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 17, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 25, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): March 2, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 31, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 27, 2017
• Last Verified: February 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: cancer; inflammation; dietary intervention trial
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Inflammation
• Other Study ID Numbers: VEG_01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED