ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews some studies from the laboratory reporting results on anticarcinogenic effects of Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) with emphasis on low-dose effects that are relevent to cancer prophylaxsis at levels acceptable for human intake. Thus, although significant uncertainties remain, synthetic antioxidants are attractive candidates for one approach to the prevention of human cancer. To determine whether phenolic antioxidants can inhibit the carcinogenicity of a human carcinogen without shifting the organotropism, as occurred with 2-acetylaminofluorene, the protective effect against aflatoxin B1 was studied. In a series of studies, the dose-response characteristics of inhibition by BHA and BHT of chemical-induced liver cancer in male F344 rats have been examined. To be effective inhibitors of human cancer, antioxidants would have to be present continuously in order to be available to counteract intermittent carcinogen exposures. Explanations could be offered as to how antioxidants could have contributed to the decreases.
