Evaluation of extracts from Coccoloba mollis using the Salmonella/microsome system and in vivo tests

Juliana Cristina Marcarini,Dalva Trevisan Ferreira,Marcela Stefanini Tsuboy,Lúcia Regina Ribeiro,Farah Maria Drumond Chequer,Elisa Raquel Anastácio Ferraz,Mário Sérgio Mantovani,Danielle Palma De Oliveira

doi:10.1590/s1415-47572010005000062

Abstract

The common everyday use of medicinal plants is an ancient, and still very widespread practice, whereby the need for studies on their possible toxicity and mutagenic properties. The species Coccoloba mollis has been much used in phytotherapy, mainly in cases involving loss of memory and stress. In order to investigate its genotoxic and mutagenic potential, ethanolic extracts from the leaves and roots underwent Salmonella/microsome assaying (TA98 and TA100 strains, with and without exogenous metabolism – S9), besides comet and micronucleus tests in vivo.There was no significant increase in the number of revertants/plate of Salmonella strains in any of the analyzed root-extract concentrations, although the extract itself was extremely toxic to the Salmonella TA98 strain in the tests carried out with S9 (doses varying from 0.005 to 0.5 μg/plate). On the other hand, the leaf-extract induced mutations in the TA98 strain in the absence of S9 in the highest concentration evaluated, although at very low mutagenic potency (0.004 rev/ μg). Furthermore, there was no statistically significant increase in the number of comets and micronuclei, in treatments involving Swiss mice. It was obvious that extracts of Coccoloba mollis, under the described experimental conditions, are not mutagenic.

Highlights

The use of plants for medicinal purposes is one of the oldest forms of medical practice
In the Ames test, the results indicated that only leaf extract (LE) had a mutagenic effect, albeit at very low potency (0.004 rev/mg), whereas under other test conditions, mutagenicity was not observed (Table 1)
As to the root extract (RE), mutagenic potency was not noted under any of the conditions tested, in the TA98 strain in the presence of S9, this extract was highly toxic for Salmonella at all the concentrations tested (p~1) (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

The use of plants for medicinal purposes is one of the oldest forms of medical practice. The product is manually prepared in extract form with alcohol from the roots and leaves of the plant. Once prepared, it is kept in the dark for about 15 days. On considering the genus Coccoloba, and the importance of scientific evaluation of medicinal plants of common use|, the aim was to determine the genotoxicity/mutagenicity of leaf and root ethanolic extracts from Coccoloba mollis by using Salmonella/microsome assaying (Ames test), as well as in vivo ± and micronucleus tests

Methods

Results

Conclusion