title: Licoflavone C attenuates the genotoxicity of cancer drugs in human peripheral lymphocytes.
abstract: Flavonoids exhibit a wide spectrum of biological activities that can lead to beneficial effects for human health. The search for cytotoxic, genotoxic and/or antimutagenic natural compounds is therefore of great relevance, especially in cancer chemotherapy. In view of this, we screened the potential genotoxicity/antigenotoxicty of licoflavone C (LFLC) - a naturally occurring prenyl-flavone extracted from Genista ephedroides - using the micronucleus (MN) assay on stimulated and cytochalasin B-blocked human lymphocytes. LFLC did not increase the spontaneous MN level up to 600 microM final concentration where a strong toxicity was seen to occur. We therefore performed an antigenotoxicity assay against the two mutagenic anticancer drugs, mitomycin C (MMC) and daunorubicin (DAU), using two non-toxic LFLC concentrations (0.1 microM and 1.0 microM). The MN frequencies induced by 0.025 microg/ml or 0.05 microg/ml DAU were significantly lowered by 45.4% or 46.6% and 41.8% or 44.8% at LFLC 0.1 and 1.0 microM, respectively. After treatment with 0.085 microg/ml or 0.17 microg/ml MMC, we detected a reduction in genotoxicity of 35.1% or 37.0% and of 38.0% or 35.8% at LFLC 0.1 and 1.0 microM, respectively. In conclusion, LFLC was proven to be protective toward the chromosome damage induced by DAU or MMC in cultured human peripheral lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. rscarpato@biologia.unipi.it
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scarpato
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paganucci
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertoli
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pistelli
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Federico
mesh_terms: D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000187:drug effects; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D047309:Flavones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D039761:Genista / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D047309:Flavones; D010936:Plant Extracts; C533963:licoflavone C; D016685:Mitomycin; D003630:Daunorubicin