Protection by coffee cherry against spontaneous mammary tumour development in mice.

Chronic ingestion of an extract of coffee cherry (CC), the residue left after removal of coffee beans, induced a marked suppression of spontaneous mammary tumour development in a high mammary tumour strain of SHN virgin mice. The growth of normal and preneoplastic mammary glands was also apparently inhibited by the treatment. While the treatment resulted to some extent in a decrease of water intake and a retardation of body growth, the excretion of urinary components such as urea, allantoin and creatinine was increased and serum free fatty acid level was decreased by CC. Little modulation of the endocrine system was noted by the treatment. Finally, a promising chemopreventive role of CC in tumours is indicated.