ABSTRACT
It is widely acknowledged that diet influences cancer risk in humans. Dietary
parameters have been shown to influence the cancer process at many stages,
including at the level of xenobiotic (foreign chemical) metabolizing enzymes.
The modulatory effects of dietary and other parameters on xenobiotic meta-
bolizing enzyme activities including modulation of the cytochrome P450 enzyme
family (phase I metabolism) have been investigated. Modulation of these enzyme
activities may influence the activation of potential carcinogens or the detoxi-
fication of reactive xenobiotic metabolites. Relatively little has been reported on
the effects of carotenoids on the induction of cytochrome P450 enzymes.
