Abstract
Pueraria mirifica is a Thai phytoestrogen-rich herb traditionally used for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Pueraria lobata is also a phytoestrogen-rich herb traditionally used in Japan, Korea and China for the treatment of hypertension and alcoholism. We evaluated the mutagenic and antimutagenic activity of the two plant extracts using the Ames test preincubation method plus or minus the rat liver mixture S9 for metabolic activation using Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 as indicator strains. The cytotoxicity of the two extracts to the two S. typhimurium indicators was evaluated before the mutagenic and antimutagenic tests. Both extracts at a final concentration of 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 mg/plate exhibited only mild cytotoxic effects. The plant extracts at the concentrations of 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/plate in the presence and absence of the S9 mixture were negative in the mutagenic Ames test. In contrast, both extracts were positive in the antimutagenic Ames test towards either one or both of the tested mutagens 2-(2-furyl)-3-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-acrylamide and benzo(a)pyrene. The absence of mutagenic and the presence of anti-mutagenic activities of the two plant extracts were confirmed in rec-assays and further supported by a micronucleus test where both plant extracts at doses up to 300 mg/kg body weight (equivalent to 16 g/kg body weight plant tuberous powder) failed to exhibit significant micronucleus formation in rats. The tests confirmed the non-mutagenic but reasonably antimutagenic activities of the two plant extracts, supporting their current use as safe dietary supplements and cosmetics.
Highlights
Pueraria mirifica Airy Shaw et Suvatabandu is a perennial climbing vine native to Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos with the domestic Thai name of White Kwao Krua
For both the TA98 and TA100 reporter isolates, the presence of the S9 mixture initiated a higher frequency of revertant colonies in the negative and Pueraria lobata Pueraria mirifica
Data are reported as means ± SEM of three independent replicates
Summary
Pueraria mirifica Airy Shaw et Suvatabandu is a perennial climbing vine native to Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos with the domestic Thai name of White Kwao Krua. The plant tubers are rich in phytoestrogens, especially miroestrol [2], deoxymiroestrol [3], and isoflavonoids [1], and have been shown to be effective as an alternative treatment of menopausal symptoms [4]. Treatment of gonadectomized rats with plant tuber powder resulted in a reduction of LH and FSH levels [8], with dose-dependent estrogenic responses in female mice [9], female monkeys [10], and menopausal monkeys [11,12,13]. The plant tuber powder elicits dose-dependent physiological responses in male mice with a reduction in the weight of the epididymis and the seminal vesicles and reduced sperm motility and viability [14], promoting protection against osteoporosis in orchidectomized male [15] and female rats [16]. Kudzu, is a tuberous plant found in China, Korea and Japan, which contains high amounts of isoflavonoids, especially puerarin and daidzein [1]
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