title: Genotoxicity testing of Plantago major extracts in somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster.
abstract: Plantago major is used in many parts of the world for the treatment of diseases and to promote the healing of wounds. In the present study, the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) in Drosophila melanogaster was used to evaluate the genotoxic activity of an aqueous extract of P. major. The following Drosophila crosses were made: standard (ST) cross, in which virgin flare females (flr3/TM3, Bds) were mated with mwh/mwh males, and high-bioactivation (HB) cross, in which virgin ORR females (ORR/ORR; flr3/TM3, Bds) were mated with mwh/mwh males. Each cross produced two types of descendents, marker-transheterozygous (MH) (mwh +/+ flr3) and balancer-heterozygous (BH) (mwh +/+ TM3, Bds) flies. Three-day-old larvae of both types of descendents were treated with undiluted and diluted (1:1 and 1:2 in water) aqueous extracts of P. major. The extracts were genotoxic in both crosses, producing similar induced frequencies in ST and HB flies. Comparison of the frequencies of wing spots in the BH and MH descendents indicated that recombination was a major response. The results indicate that, under these experimental conditions, aqueous extracts of P. major are genotoxic (recombinagenic).
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Genética e Bioquímica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vânia Maria Sartini Dutra
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.forename: Júlio César
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Nepomuceno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity*; D010943:Plantago / Q000737:chemistry*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D010936:Plant Extracts