title: Acute, subacute toxicity and genotoxic effect of a hydroethanolic extract of the cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.).
abstract: Anacardium occidentale L. (Anacardiaceae), popularly known as cajueiro is a native plant to Brazil, and largely used in popular medicine to treat ulcers, hypertension and diarrhea. In the present study, acute, 30-day subacute toxicity and genotoxicity assays were carried out. The crude extract did not produce toxic symptoms in rats in doses up to 2000 mg/kg. Based on biochemical analyses of renal and hepato-biliary functions, such as the level of urea, creatinine, transaminases and alkaline phosphatase, we determined that the extract is generally tolerated by rats. This was also confirmed by hematological and histopathological exams. Genotoxicity was accessed by the Ames test in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA97, TA98, TA100, TA102 and by the bone marrow micronucleus test in mice. The extract was shown to induce frameshift, base pair substitution and damage to the chromosomes. However, this effect was less deleterious than the clastogenic effect of ciclophosphamide.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade de São Paulo, CP 66083, Av. Prof. Lineu, Prestes 580, B-15 São Paulo 05508-900, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nzi André
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Konan
authors.forename: Elfriede Marianne
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bacchi
authors.forename: Nilton
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lincopan
authors.forename: Soraya Duarte
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Varela
authors.forename: Eliana Aparecida
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Varanda
mesh_terms: D031021:Anacardium / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D000431:Ethanol; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens; D009154:Mutation; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000431:Ethanol