Abstract
The lemon grass, Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf, is an important species of Poaceae family commonly used in the folk medicine in many countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of aqueous extracts from C. citratus leaves on Lactuca sativa (lettuce) root tip meristem cells by cytogenetic studies that have never been done before for lemon grass extracts. For this, lettuce seeds were treated for 72h with different concentrations of lemon grass aqueous extracts (5; 10; 20 and 30 mg/mL). The percentage of germination, root development and cellular behavior were analyzed, and the results showed that the highest concentration of aqueous extracts reduced the mitotic index, the seed germination and the root development of lettuce. The extracts have also induced chromosome aberrations and cellular death in the roots cells of L. sativa.
Highlights
The use of medicinal plants on phytotherapy is a result of empirical knowledge accumulated over the centuries about plant actions in several ethnic groups
Considering the potential therapeutic use of C. citratus extract and the lack of data about its mutagenicity by cytogenetic bioassay, this paper described the effects of aqueous extracts of C. citratus leaves on seed germination, root growing, chromosome structure and cellular cycle of L. sativa
Fresh leaves of C. citratus were collected at the Botanical Experimental Area of the Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF), and four aqueous extracts were prepared (5; 10; 20 and 30 mg, respectively, in 1 mL of distilled water)
Summary
The use of medicinal plants on phytotherapy is a result of empirical knowledge accumulated over the centuries about plant actions in several ethnic groups. There are many questions about the standardization techniques for the production and exchange of phytotherapeutic agents (Negrelle and Gomes 2007). The indiscriminate medicinal use of plants, usually toxic ones, may entail risks to health, because, to the allopathic drugs, there is a threshold dosage for each phytotherapeutic agent. Among various species with medicinal properties, Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf (Poaceae), a species popularly known as “lemon grass”, shows an infinite number of applications and is popularly used by people in many countries. In Brazil, for example, the tea, infusion and extracts of C. citratus, which are prepared with fresh or dry leaves, are often used in the popular medicine as a restorative, digestive, anti-tussis, effective drug against colds, with an analgesic, anti-hermetic, anticardiopatic, antithermic, anti-inflammatory of urinary ducts, diuretic, antispasmodic, diaphoretic and antial-. VICCINI lergic effect (Negrelle and Gomes 2007). The lemon grass extracts and their essential oils are used in the food (flavoring), perfume and cosmetics industries, this use being of reasonable economical importance in various countries (Oliveira et al 1997)
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