title: Protective effect of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) against oxidative DNA damage and mutagenesis.
abstract: Mutagenic and antimutagenic properties of essential oil (EO) of basil and its major constituent Linalool, reported to possess antioxidative properties, were examined in microbial tests. In Salmonella/microsome and Escherichia. coli WP2 reversion assays both derivatives (0.25-2.0 microl/plate) showed no mutagenic effect. Salmonella. typhimurium TA98, TA100 and TA102 strains displayed similar sensitivity to both basil derivatives as non-permeable E. coli WP2 strains IC185 and IC202 oxyR. Moreover, the toxicity of basil derivatives to WP2 strains did not depend on OxyR function. The reduction of t-BOOH-induced mutagenesis by EO and Linalool (30-60%) was obtained in repair proficient strains of the E. coli K12 assay (Nikolić, B., Stanojević, J., Mitić, D., Vuković-Gacić, B., Knezević-Vukcević, J., Simić, D., 2004. Comparative study of the antimutagenic potential of vitamin E in different E. coli strains. Mutat. Res. 564, 31-38), as well as in E. coli WP2 IC202 strain. EO and Linalool reduced spontaneous mutagenesis in mismatch repair deficient E. coli K12 strains (27-44%). In all tests, antimutagenic effect of basil derivatives was comparable with that obtained with model antioxidant vitamin E. Linalool and vitamin E induced DNA strand breaks in Comet assay on S. cerevisiae 3A cells, but at non-genotoxic concentrations (0.075 and 0.025 microg/ml, respectively) they reduced the number of H(2)O(2)-induced comets (45-70% Linalool and 80-93% vitamin E). Obtained results indicate that antigenotoxic potential of basil derivatives could be attributed to their antioxidative properties.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, Laboratory for Microbiology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. tanjab@bfbot.bg.ac.yu
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berić
authors.forename: Biljana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nikolić
authors.forename: Jasna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stanojević
authors.forename: Branka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vuković-Gacić
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knezević-Vukcević
mesh_terms: D000080462:Acyclic Monoterpenes; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020552:Comet Assay / Q000379:methods; D004249:DNA Damage; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D031339:Ocimum; D018649:Ocimum basilicum; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000080462:Acyclic Monoterpenes; D000975:Antioxidants; D039821:Monoterpenes; D010938:Plant Oils; C018584:linalool; C051168:basil oil