Cytological and Biochemical Effects of St. John’s Wort Supplement (A Complex Mixture of St. John’s Wort, Rosemary and Spirulina) on Somatic and Germ Cells of Swiss Albino Mice

Abstract

Commercially available St. John’s wort supplement (SJWS) composed of an herbal mixture of St. John’s Wort (SJW), Rosemary (RM) and Spirulina (SP) is used as a dietary supplement for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Although the minor ingredients, (RM and SP) are proven antioxidants, their quantity is quite insignificant as compared to the SJW, which is the major ingredient. Most of the toxic effects of SJWS are attributed to the main constituents of SJW which differ due to the influence of light (hypericin) and variations in temperature above freezing point (hyperforin). However, there are no reports on toxicity of SJWS maintained at room temperature in pharmacies and supermarkets. In view of the folkloric importance, immense (prescribed or unprescribed) use and a paucity of literature on SJWS, it was found worthwhile to (1) determine the genotoxic effects of SJWS in somatic and germ cells of mice and (2) investigate the role of biochemical changes, as a possible mechanism. The protocol included the oral treatment of mice with different doses (380, 760 and 1520 mg/kg/day) of SJWS for 7 days. The following experiments were conducted: (i) cytological studies on micronucleus test, (ii) cytogenetic analysis for meiotic chromosomes, (iii) cytological analysis of spermatozoa abnormalities, (iv) quantification of proteins and nucleic acids in hepatic and testicular cells and (v) estimation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nonprotein sulfhydryl (NP-SH) in hepatic and testicular cells. The treatment increased the frequency of micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE) in the femora. It caused aberrations in chromosomes of testes and induced spermatozoa abnormalities. These changes might be attributed to the epigenetic mechanisms as revealed by an increase in concentrations of MDA and depletion of nucleic acids and NP-SH levels in both hepatic and testicular cells observed in the present study. Since, the samples of SJWS used were not drawn from extremities of light and temperature; the observed effect might not be related to the main constituents of SJW. However, these changes might be ascribed to the combined effect of terpenes, tannins, quercetin and flavonoids present in SJW.

Safety Assessment of Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary)-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics

“…53 A mixture containing 19% R officinalis (rosemary) leaves, 71.5% St John’s wort, and 9.5% spirulina induced in mice statistically significant increases in MNPCEs at 760 and 1,520 mg/kg bw/d in a micronucleus test; in frequency of aneuploidy, percent polyploidy, and total percent aberrations with 760 and 1,520 mg/kg bw/d in a chromosomal aberration assay; and in frequency of banana-shaped, swollen acrosome, and triangular head sperm abnormalities and percent total spermatozoa abnormalities at 1,520 mg/kg bw/d in a spermatozoa abnormality assay. 54…”

Cytogenetic toxicity ofAloe vera(a medicinal plant)

“…However, most of the herbal preparations evaluated preferentially induce numerical variations in chromosomes over structural abnormalities, that is, their action appears to be more aneu-than clastogenic (Aleisa, 2008;Awasthy et al, 2000;Celik and Aslanturk, 2007). Aloe extract, found genotoxic in the present observation, appears to be nonclastogenic, as it failed to produce structural abnormalities both in animal and plant chromosomes.…”

“…In recent years, attention has been given to the cytogenetic toxicity of herbal drugs, and the extracts of several medicinal plants have been shown to be genotoxic, ranging from mitotic poisoning to clastogenic in nature (Aleisa, 2008;Almeida et al, 2006;Awasthy et al, 2000;Celik and Aslanturk, 2007;Khan and Awasthy, 2003;Kumpawat et al, 2003;Monra et al, 2008;Santos et al, 2006). However, most of the herbal preparations evaluated preferentially induce numerical variations in chromosomes over structural abnormalities, that is, their action appears to be more aneu-than clastogenic (Aleisa, 2008;Awasthy et al, 2000;Celik and Aslanturk, 2007).…”

Inhibitory effect of spirulina maxima on the azoxymethane-induced aberrant colon crypts and oxidative damage in mice

“…This process has been reported in chemicals such as flavonoids, proteins, terpenes, ascorbic acid, or tannins, among other compounds, where variable amount of oxidative stress can be produced; moreover, Spirulina has also been reported to contain microcistin and anatoxin-a, potent toxic agents known to affect the liver and the brain, respectively that could also be another source of mouse molecular disturbance processes. [ 39 40 41 ]…”