Protective Effect of Crocus sativus Stigma Extract and Crocin (trans-crocin 4) on Methyl Methanesulfonate–Induced DNA Damage in Mice Organs

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the effect of aqueous extract of Crocus sativus stigmas (CSE) and crocin (trans-crocin 4) on methyl methanesulfonate (MMS)-induced DNA damage in multiple mice organs using comet assay. Adult male NMRI mice in different groups were treated with either physiological saline (10 mL=Kg, intraperitoneal [ip]), CSE (80 mg=Kg, ip), crocin (400 mg=Kg, ip), MMS (120 mg=Kg, ip), and CSE (5, 20, and 80 mg=Kg, ip) 45 min prior to MMS administration or crocin (50, 200, and 400 mg=Kg, ip) 45 min prior to MMS administration. Mice were scarified about 3 h after each different treatment, and the alkaline comet assay was used to evaluate the effect of these compounds on DNA damage in different mice organs. The percent of DNA in the comet tail (% tail DNA) was measured. A significant increase in the % tail DNA was seen in nuclei of different organs of MMS-treated mice. In control groups, no significant difference was found in the % tail DNA between CSE-or crocin-pretreated and saline-pretreated mice. The MMS-induced DNA damage in CSEpretreated mice (80 mg=Kg) was decreased between 2.67-fold (kidney) and 4.48-fold (lung) compared to those of MMS-treated animals alone ( p < 0.001). This suppression of DNA damage by CSE was found to be depended on the dose, which pretreatment with CSE (5 mg=Kg) only reduced DNA damage by 6.97%, 6.57%, 7.27%, and 9.90% in liver, lung, kidney, and spleen, respectively ( p > 0.05 as compared with MMS-treated group). In the same way, crocin also significantly decreased DNA damage by MMS (between 4.69-fold for liver and 6.55-fold for spleen, 400 mg=Kg), in a dose-dependent manner. These data indicate that there is a genoprotective property in CSE and crocin, as revealed by the comet assay, in vivo.

Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of mineral trioxide aggregate and calcium enriched mixture cements on L929 mouse fibroblast cells

“…The alkaline version, used in this study, can detect a variety of DNA lesions and incomplete repair sites 22,23) . Since the introduction of the alkaline comet assay in 1988 20) , a number of advances have greatly increased the flexibility and utility of the technique for detecting various forms of DNA damage.…”

“…According to Kumaravel percentage of tailed DNA is a virtual measure calculated by a computerized image analysis system considering the tail intensity (percentage of DNA in the comet tail) 36) . In other studies, treatment time with the test substances varied from 1 h 20,21,34) to 3 h 33) , but we exposed cells for a longer time (24 h), as described by Hosseinzadeh et al 22,23) . This may explain the different results for MTA in our study.…”

“…The alkaline SCGE assay was conducted based on the method described previously by Hosseinzadeh et al 22,23) . Briefly, the L929 cells (3×10 5 ) were preincubated with different concentrations of MTA or CEM for 24 h. The materials tested were prepared in serial dilutions ranging from 0 to 1,000 µg/mL (1,000, 500, 250, 125, 62.5, 31.25, 15.6, 7.8, 0).…”

Evaluation of Crocins in Cheeses Made with Saffron by UHPLC

“…Moreover, it can provide the trans/cis-crocins ratio, which is important for saffron therapeutic properties, since they are very often attributed to a specific isomeric form, such as trans-crocins. 17,18 However, these chromatographic methods showed the disadvantage of general very long time chromatographic runs (about 50-60 min).…”

“…Moreover, it can provide the trans/cis-crocins ratio, which is important for saffron therapeutic properties, since they are very often attributed to a specific isomeric form, such as trans-crocins. 17,18 However, these chromatographic methods showed the disadvantage of general very long time chromatographic runs (about 50-60 min).The aim of this work was to provide an analytical method able to determine picrocrocin and crocins in cheese made with saffron. Starting from a revisiting extraction of crocins and picrocrocin in saffron powder, extraction procedure was optimized in cheese.…”