Genotoxicity Evaluation of Prickly Pear Cactus Seeds Oil in Cultured V79 Cells

Abstract

Prickly pear cactus seeds oil (PPSO) has been known by its high nutritive value, it is being produced and used by Yemeni people as anti-diabetic and cardiovascular agent. In this study, the potential genotoxicity of PPSO, as part of the safety evaluation process of the PPSO was assessed in vitro using cultured V79 cells. Gene mutations were determined by hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) assay, and induction of chromosome mutations was determined by micronuclei test, each assay was performed in the presence and absence of an exogenous metabolic activation system (S9-mix). Cells were treated with PPSO at different concentrations up to 5 mg /ml (limit of solubility), DMSO at 1% was used as a negative control, and Patulin at 0.3 µM and benzo[a]pyrene at 10 µg/ml were used as a positive control. Incubation of V79 cells with PPSO at various concentrations up to 5 mg/ml during treatment and the PPSO-free postincubation time resulted in slight decrease in cells proliferation activity reaching statistical significance only at the highest concentration of PPSO 5 mg/ml after treatment for 24 h. There was no significant increase in the mutation frequency in cells treated with PPSO at different concentrations tested and DMSO control in presence or absence of S9. In addition, the PPSO at different concentrations did not induce any significant micronuclated cells when compared with negative control in presence or absence of S9. In conclusion, our findings indicated that PPSO did not show genotoxicity in vitro under the experimental conditions and concentrations used. Therefore, the obtained results provide evidence to support the safe use of PPSO as a traditional medicine.