Abstract
Ocimum basilicum belongs to the Lamiaceae family, is popularly known as basil and can be found in several regions of the world, being the monoterpene Linalol or the main component of the essential oil of Ocimum basilicum L. Medicinally it is considered powerful antiseptic, carminative, digestive, insecticide and analgesic, besides having proven antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activities. Knowing that evaluating the genotoxic activity of medicinal plants is extremely important as one of the stages of the toxicity study, this study aimed to analyze the genotoxic effect of basil essential oil and its active ingredient linalool. The micronucleus test on peripheral blood cells was used in the study for activities. Groups of three mices males and three females received, by gavage, the compounds in dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg of animal weight. The negative control group received only the dispersant of the sample (distilled water) and positive control received Cyclophosphamide 50 mg/kg of animal weight. Twenty-four hours after treatment, the animals were sacrificed, blood was collected from the caudal vein and made a smear on the slide. The obtained results showed the absence of genotoxic effect of tested compounds. Further studies of toxicity need to be made to the use of this plant in the treatment of diseases to be stimulated.
Highlights
It is known since antiquity population makes use of medicinal plants as an alternative source for the treatment of various diseases
Knowing that evaluating the genotoxic activity of medicinal plants is extremely important as one of the stages of the toxicity study, this study aimed to analyze the genotoxic effect of basil essential oil and its active ingredient linalool
The detection of cytotoxic activity, genotoxic and / or mutagenic is a priority measure in the production of a herbal medicine, since various chemical compounds may be capable of causing toxic effects and even modify the genetic information contained in DNA
Summary
It is known since antiquity population makes use of medicinal plants as an alternative source for the treatment of various diseases. Much in the form of extemporaneous preparations, as in the form of herbal medicines, the medicinal plants represent a valuable therapeutic source for both populations in developing countries development, with difficulties in accessing other therapeutic measures (Heinrich, 2010) and in developed countries, where populations seek complementary therapies and alternatives (Jütte et al, 2017). Medicinal plants and herbal medicines can be consciously chosen as an alternative to traditional medicine. According to data from the Ministry of Health, published in Portal Brazil, there was an increase in the search for treatments based on medicinal plants or herbal.
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