Alterations in the mitotic index of Allium cepa induced by infusions of Pluchea sagittalis submitted to three different cultivation systems

Abstract

We evaluated the antiproliferative effect of infusions from Pluchea sagittalis using the Allium cepa test. Infusions in three concentrations (2.5, 5, and 25 g dm −3 ) of leaves cultivated in three environments (in vitro, acclimatized growth chamber, and field) were used. Six onion bulbs were used for each of the eight treatments, and the mitotic index was obtained from 6000 cells per treatment. In conclusion, leaf infusions of P. sagittalis cultivated in the field have a high antiproliferative activity, as well as the cultivation system influences the antiproliferative potential.Key words: antiproliferative effect, camphorweed, cell cycle, medicinal plant, mutagenicity.Leaf infusions of Pluchea sagittalis (Lam.) Cabrera have been traditionally used in South American popular medicine as a chest, carminative, and stomach agent (Lorenzi and Matos 2002). Experimental studies have demonstrated that extracts of this species present a potent antioxidant action and inhibit the expression of the protein Hsp72, which is responsible for inducing oxidative stress (Pérez-García et al. 2001).Allium cepa has been used to evaluate DNA damages, like chromosomal aberrations and disturbances in the mitotic cycle (Leme and Marin-Morales 2009), and the Allium cepa test is considered extremely efficient for analyzing and monitoring in situ the genotoxicity of several substances (Silva et al. 2004).Correspondence to: Fernando Teixeira Nicoloso E-mail: ftnicoloso@yahoo.com Phytochemical studies with P. sagittalis demonstrate the presence of various secondary metabolites (Guilhon and Müller 1996), where many can present bioactivity in cells of different organisms (Queiroz et al. 2001).The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiproliferative effect of infusions with plant leaves of P. sagittalis cultivated in three contrasting environments by the Allium cepa test.Aseptic plants were used as sources of explants for in vitro plants. Nodal segments (1cm) were cultivated in MS medium (Murashige and Skoog 1962), supplemented with 6g dm −3 of agar, 30g dm −3 of sacarose, and 100mg dm −3 of mio-inositol. The cultivation was carried out in a growth chamber for 120 days at 25±2 • C, photoperiod of 16/8 h light dark cycle with a luminous An Acad Bras Cienc (2010) 82 (4)

Bioindicator of Genotoxicity: The Allium cepa Test

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