title: Effects of aqueous extracts of medicinal plants on MNNG-treated rat hepatocytes in primary cultures.
abstract: Aqueous extracts of Nigella sativa (Ranunculaceae) (Ns), Teucrium polium (Labiatae) (Tp) and Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fabaceae) (Tf) have been traditionally used to treat inflammations, liver disorders, and arthritis. Experimentally, it has been demonstrated that these herbs possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties. To evaluate their in vitro toxicological properties and potential antimutagenic effects aqueous extracts of the three plants were tested in primary rat hepatocyte cultures against N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. The extracts were applied before, during and after application of MNNG to discriminate between different mechanisms of action. Tp itself significantly increased apoptosis, but in the combined treatment with MNNG significantly reduced it. Post-treatment with Ns or combined treatment with Tf significantly reduced the percentages of necrotic cells. The three plant extracts themselves significantly increased the frequency of chromosomal aberrations. Summarizing, our results suggest that aqueous extracts of the three herbs have neither cytoprotective nor antimutagenic activity, instead there is evidence for a mutagenic potential.
authors.affiliation: Division of Genetics, Department of Cell Biology, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khader
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Eckl
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bresgen
mesh_terms: D000477:Alkylating Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000139:chemically induced; D019610:Cytoprotection; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D008769:Methylnitronitrosoguanidine / Q000633:toxicity*; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009336:Necrosis; D031881:Nigella sativa; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012997:Solvents; D031367:Teucrium; D029910:Trigonella; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D000477:Alkylating Agents; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012997:Solvents; D014867:Water; D008769:Methylnitronitrosoguanidine