Abstract
Cleistocalyx nervosum var. paniala, an edible fruit found in Northern Thailand, contains high amounts of phenolic compounds with in vitro antioxidant activity. The aqueous extract of the ripe fruit was evaluated for its safety and beneficial effects using genotoxicity and toxicity tests. The C. nervosum extract was not only non-mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 in the presence and absence of metabolic activation, but exhibited also moderate antimutagenic effects against aflatoxin B1 and 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline-induced mutagenesis. Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometric analysis revealed the major anthocyanins, which included cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-5-glucoside. The administration of C. nervosum at concentration of 5,000 mg/kg bw did not induce acute toxicity in rats. A liver micronucleus test was performed to detect clastogenicity and anticlastogenicity. The extract in the dose of 1,000 mg/kg did not cause micronucleus formation in the liver of rats. Furthermore, in rats administered 100–1,000 mg/kg of the extract, no anticlastogenic effect against diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatic micronucleus formation was observed. These studies provide data concerning the safety and antimutagenic potency of an aqueous extract of C. nervosum fruit.
Highlights
Anthocyanins occur ubiquitously in flowering plants and confer the bright red, blue and purple colors to fruits and vegetables
There are but few data concerning the biological activity of C. nervosum fruit in vitro or in vivo, though Cleistocalyx operculatus, which belongs to the same genus, has been investigated for its biological activities
Our research group reported the effect of an aqueous extract of C. nervosum on antioxidant systems in the rat liver, including total glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and heme oxygenase-1 activities, indicating a possible biphasic effect on oxidative status of the rat liver (Taya et al, 2009)
Summary
Anthocyanins occur ubiquitously in flowering plants and confer the bright red, blue and purple colors to fruits and vegetables. Epidemiological studies have suggested that the consumption of anthocyanins lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer, due at least in part to anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities (Prior & Wu, 2006). Potential cancer chemopreventive activities of anthocyanins revealed in in vitro studies included radical scavenging activity, stimulation. Previous studies have reported that cyanidin-3-glucosides were found in the ripe fruit of C. nervosum (Jansom et al, 2008). There are but few data concerning the biological activity of C. nervosum fruit in vitro or in vivo, though Cleistocalyx operculatus, which belongs to the same genus, has been investigated for its biological activities.
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