Research Article Genotoxicity of <i>Brosimum gaudichaudii</i> (Moraceae) and <i>Caesalpinia ferrea</i> (Fabaceae) in <i>Astyanax</i> sp. (Characidae) based on a comet assay

Abstract

The plants Brosimum gaudichaudii (inharé) and Caesalpinia ferrea (jucá) are widely distributed throughout Brazil and are considered medicinal. Inharé has been popularly used as a blood purifier, for the treatment of skin and vitiligo, while jucáis considered analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer. These therapeutic properties have been attributed to phytochemicals such as coumarins, flavonoids and tannins. However, the mechanisms of action of most of these phytochemicals have not yet been fully elucidated and they may compromise human health. Consequently, the evaluation of the genotoxic effect of these plant extracts is fundamental for the determination of safe doses for human consumption. We evaluated the genotoxic effect of various concentrations of extracts of B. gaudichaudii and C. ferrea using comet assay of erythrocytes from Astyanax sp. exposed in vivo. In the comet assay indicated the tail migration of DNA increased ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 17 (4): gmr18100 M.J.B. Souza et al. 2significantly in the group of cells exposed to C. ferrea for various treatments and the olive tail movement exhibited a significantly higher extent of DNA damage, indicating the potential genotoxicity of the extract. On the other hand, it is premature to claima lack of genotoxic effect for B. gaudichauddi extracts since our experimental design was not able to rule out apotential effect of DNA damage as the concentration of 20mg/L seemed to increase the likelihood of genotoxicity. Thus, larger doses of B. gaudichauddi extracts should be tested in future studies of the kind. Our investigation provided valuable data for two species of plants widely used in folk medicine in different regions of Brazil. We recommend caution when using thses species for their medicinal properties.

Evaluation of the Genotoxicity of the Aerial Parts of Iraqi Euphorbia cyathophora on Bone Marrow and Spleen Cells in Mice

“…For thousands of years, the majority of the world's population used traditional medicine, and about 80% of developing countries people rely on traditionally used medicinal plants for disease management (1) . The discovery of the medicinal or toxic potential of the plant was assessed during their use for therapeutic purposes (2) . Plants hold certain therapeutic components with remarkable physiological effects which can be extracted and used in drug preparation (3) .…”

“…Lots of the medicinal plants possessed cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic potential, therefor their uses might be associated with a higher incidence of tumor formation (4) . Further investigations are required before the consumption of these plants, particularly in the terms of their mutagenic potential (2) . Euphorbia cyathophora is also called Poinsettia cyathophora Murray (5) , it is family Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family).…”