Protective effects of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus STAPF) essential oil on DNA damage and carcinogenesis in female Balb/C mice

Abstract

This study investigated the protective effect of oral treatment with lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus STAPF) essential oil (LGEO) on leukocyte DNA damage induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosurea (MNU). Also, the anticarcinogenic activity of LGEO was investigated in a multi-organ carcinogenesis bioassay induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)antracene, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine and N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxibuthyl)nitrosamine in Balb/C female Balb/c mice (DDB-initiated mice). In the short-term study, the animals were allocated into three groups: vehicle group (negative control), MNU group (positive control) and LGEO 500 mg kg⁻¹ (five times per week for 5 weeks) plus MNU group (test group). Blood samples were collected to analyze leukocyte DNA damage by comet assay 4 h after each MNU application at the end of weeks 3 and 5. The LGEO 500 mg kg⁻¹ treated group showed significantly lower (P < 0.01) leukocyte DNA damage than its respective positive group exposed to MNU alone at week 3. In the medium-term study, DDB-initiated mice were allocated into three groups: vehicle group (positive control) and LGEO 125 or 500 mg kg⁻¹ (five times per week for 6 weeks; test groups). At week 20, all animals were euthanized and mammary glands, colon and urinary bladder were processed for histopathological analyses for detection of preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions. A slight non-significant effect of treatment with LGEO 500 mg kg⁻¹ in reducing development of alveolar and ductal mammary hyperplasia was found (P = 0.075). Our findings indicate that lemongrass essential oil provided protective action against MNU-induced DNA damage and a potential anticarcinogenic activity against mammary carcinogenesis in DDB-initiated female Balb/C mice.

The GABAergic system contributes to the anxiolytic-like effect of essential oil from Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass)

“…The major compounds of the EO from Cymbopogon citratus were identified by GC/MS (Bidinotto et al, 2010) as follows: citral (a mixture of the cis and trans isomers -neral and geranial) followed by myrcene and geraniol. According to Vale et al (2002), citral and myrcene were not able to modify parameters of anxiolytic activity in mice, as evaluated by the elevated plus maze.…”

“…Other compounds detected in the EO include geraniol (1.28%), 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ona (0.64%), and undecan-2-one (0.29%), as detailed in Bidinotto et al (2010).…”

An ethnobotanical study of plants used to treat liver diseases in the Maritime region of Togo

“…R.Br. ex G.Don Viral hepatitis A and C (Guinnin et al, 2015); liver damage Fever (Clement et al, 2015) Protective effect of the oil on DNA damage and carcinogenesis in female Balb/C mice (Bidinotto et al, 2011) ; Cardioprotective effect by biochemical and histopathological changes in experimentally induced cardiotoxicity (Gayathri et al, 2011) Hepatoprotective effect of the aqueous extract against hydrogen peroxide-induced liver injury in male rats (Rahim et al, 2014); alleviation of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic oxidative stress and toxicity (Koh et al, 2012) Morinda lucida Benth.…”

DNA Damage Protection and Induction of Repair by Dietary Phytochemicals and Cancer Prevention: What Do We Know?

“…Using comet assay some in vivo studies have shown the antigenotoxic effects of dietary agents, namely, artepillin C (a polyphenolic acid found in Brazilian green propolis and Baccharis dracunculifolia) (Azevedo Bentes Monteiro Neto et al, 2011), safranal, (a constituent of Crocus sativus L. stigmas) (Hosseinzadeh and Sadeghnia, 2007), orange juice (Franke et al, 2005b) and vitamin C (Franke et al, 2005a) against DNA damage induced by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Also lemongrass protected leukocytes from DNA damage induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosurea (MNU) (Bidinotto et al, 2010). Data from application of comet assay in the assessment of genoprotective effects of diet against alkylating DNA damage is limited.…”