Assessment of Duguetia furfuracea genotoxic and cytotoxic activity in bacteria and mice

Abstract

Duguetia furfuracea (St. Hil.) Benth & Hook f. (1862), popularly known as "sofre-do-rim-quem-quer" and "araticum-seco", is a shrub of the Annonaceae family that occurs in several regions of Brazil. In folk medicine the infusion of its leaves and twigs is used to treat rheumatism and renal colic, whereas the seed powder is mixed with water to treat pediculosis. Previous studies have described biological activities of this plant with cytotoxic, antitumoral, trypanocidal, leishmanicidal, antiplasmodial and antiprotozoal effects. In the present work, genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of Duguetia furfuracea lyophilized leaf extract were evaluated using the prophage λ induction test (SOS-Inductest) and mouse bone marrow micronucleus test. Our results showed that Duguetia furfuracea lyophilized leaf extract did not present an increase either in the induction of prophage λ (P>0.05) using the SOS-inductest or in the micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (P>0.05) using the micronucleus test, suggesting absence of genotoxicity in both tests. On the other hand, a significant decrease in the number of bacteria, (P<0.05), as well as a significant decrease in the polychromatic erythrocytes and normochromatic erythrocytes ratio, (P<0.05), were observed, showing the cytotoxic action of Duguetia furfuracea lyophilized leaf extract. Thus, Duguetia furfuracea did not present the genotoxic action, but showed a cytotoxic effect in both assays utilized in the present work.

Antigenotoxic and anticytotoxic activity of Duguetia furfuracea in bacteria and mice

“…The results obtained using the SOS-Inductest demonstrated that DFE attenuated the cytotoxic action of low doses of MMC. However, at a dose of 10 mg DFE, the increased number of survivors was not significant, possibly owing to the cytotoxic action of higher doses (5 and 10 mg) of DFE against E. coli demonstrated in our previous studies (Silva et al, 2012).…”

“…Studies carried out by our team using the lysogenic induction test (SOS-Inductest) and mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay have demonstrated that Duguetia furfuracea lyophilized leaf extract (DFE) has cytotoxic but not genotoxic activity (Silva et al, 2012). In the present study, we investigated the antigenotoxic and anticytotoxic activity of DFE using these tools (Heddle, 1973;Moreau et al, 1976).…”

Antigenotoxic, and anticytotoxic activities of an ethanolic extract of Lafoensia pacari (Lythraceae) stem bark in bacteria and mice

“…However, many plants can also pose health risks since they exhibit cytotoxic (Silva et al, 2012), genotoxic (Vilar et al, 2009a), and mutagenic activities ). Long-term use of genotoxic compounds can cause DNA damage and promote the development of degenerative diseases, such as cancer .…”