title: Assessment of antimutagenic and genotoxic potential of senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl.) aqueous extract using in vitro assays.
abstract: Senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl.) is widely used as a laxative, although potential side effects, such as toxicity and genotoxicity, have been reported. This study evaluated genotoxic and mutagenic effects of senna aqueous extract (SAE) by means of four experimental assays: inactivation of Escherichia coli cultures; bacterial growth inhibition; reverse mutation test (Mutoxitest) and DNA strand break analysis in plasmid DNA. Our results demonstrated that SAE produces single and double strand breaks in plasmid DNA in a cell free system. On the other hand, SAE was not cytotoxic or mutagenic to Escherichia coli strains tested. In effect, SAE was able to avoid H(2)O(2)-induced mutagenesis and toxicity in Escherichia coli IC203 (uvrA oxyR) and IC205 (uvrA mutM) strains, pointing to a new antioxidant/antimutagenic action of SAE.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Análise de Toxicidade em Fitoterápicos, Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, UERJ, Rio de Janeiro 20551-030, Brazil.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caldeira-de-Araujo
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Leitão
authors.forename: R J A C
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pádula
mesh_terms: D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D053903:DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded / Q000187:drug effects; D053904:DNA Breaks, Single-Stranded / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests / Q000379:methods; D009153:Mutagens / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012676:Senna Extract / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity*; D029846:Senna Plant / Q000737:chemistry