Oral cancer is one of the prevalent cancers in India associated with use of tobacco. Despite the improvement in medical technology and therapeutic approaches, the 5-year survival rate has not improved over the last 4–5 decades. Oral carcinogenesis is complex process involving series of histopathological changes. Carcinogen–induced hamster buccal pouch is well established model for oral carcinogenesis. It shows many changes analogous with human counterparts. Chemoprevention is emerging as an important modality for cancer prevention. There is an increasing awareness of health benefits of phytochemicals present in foods because of their safety. There is need to identify newer potential chemopreventive compounds and also to evaluate mechanisms of antioxidant–mediated chemoprevention of carcinogenesis as well as influence on physiological processes resulting in toxicity. Very few studies have been conducted so far using polymeric black tea polyphenols (PBPs) and most of them are in vitro pre-screen tests. Earlier studies from lab on the evaluation of molecular mechanisms of chemoprevention by PBPs shown to control phase I & phase II enzymes, carcinogen-induced cell proliferation and enhance apoptosis of initiated cells in experimental lung carcinogenesis. This current study will enhance our understanding of process of experimental oral carcinogenesis in hamster buccal pouch and chemoprevention studies using PBPs.
