Océane C B Martin, Nathalie Naud, Sylviane Taché, Laurent Debrauwer, Sylvie Chevolleau, Jacques Dupuy, Céline Chantelauze, Denis Durand, Estelle Pujos-Guillot, Florence Blas-Y-Estrada, Christine Urbano, Gunter G C Kuhnle, Véronique Santé-Lhoutellier, Thierry Sayd, Didier Viala, Adeline Blot, Nathalie Meunier, Pascal Schlich, Didier Attaix, Françoise Guéraud, Valérie Scislowski, Denis E Corpet, Fabrice H F Pierre

Red meat is probably carcinogenic to humans (WHO/IARC class 2A), in part through heme iron-induced lipoperoxidation. Here, we investigated whether red meat promotes carcinogenesis in rodents and modulates associated biomarkers in volunteers, speculating that an antioxidant marinade could suppress these effects via limitation of the heme induced lipid peroxidation. We gave marinated or non-marinated beef with various degrees of cooking to azoxymethane-initiated rats, Min mice, and human volunteers (crossover study). Mucin-depleted foci were scored in rats, adenoma in Min mice. Biomarkers of lipoperoxidation were measured in the feces and urine of rats, mice, and volunteers. The organoleptic properties of marinated meat were tested. Fresh beef increased colon carcinogenesis and lipoperoxidation in rats and mice and lipoperoxidation in humans. Without an adverse organoleptic effect on meat, marinade normalized peroxidation biomarkers in rat and mouse feces, reduced peroxidation in human feces and reduced the number of Mucin-depleted foci in rats and adenoma in female Min mice. This could lead to protective strategies to decrease the colorectal cancer burden associated with red meat consumption.