Genotoxicity assessment of Pyungwi-san (PWS), a traditional herbal prescription.
BACKGROUND
Pyungwi-san (PWS, Heii-san in Japanese) is a mixture of six herbs and is traditionally used in Northeast Asia (especially Korea and Japan) for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorder, such as dyspepsia and inappetance induced by gastric dilatation and gastrointestinal catarrh.


OBJECTIVE
Although PWS is a widely used herbal prescription in Korea and Japan, little information is available in the literature on the safety and toxicity of PWS. As part of a safety evaluation of PWS, the present study evaluated the potential genotoxicity of PWS using a standard battery of test.


METHODS
We prepared PWS using a water extraction method and simultaneously extracted three compounds from PWS using high performance liquid chromatography. The PWS extract that was obtained was assayed for genotoxicity using the standard three tests recommended by the Korea Food and Drug Administration. These tests included the bacterial reverse mutation test (Ames test), the chromosomal aberration test using China hamster lung cells, and the micronucleus test using ICR mice.


RESULTS
The Ames test showed that the PWS extract did not induce an increase in the number of revertant colonies compared with vehicle control at any dose in all of tester strains. In the micronucleus test, no significant increase was observed in micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCEs) at any dose of PWS extract compared with vehicle control. Conversely, chromosomal aberration test showed that the PWS extract at a dosage of 4500 μg/mL induced an increase in the number of chromosomal aberrations in the 6 h group with metabolic activation compared with the vehicle control.


CONCLUSIONS
PWS extract exhibits genotoxicity, based on the results of the chromosomal aberration test. Thus, further detailed experiments will be needed to identify the ingredient responsible for inducing this genotoxicity and to determine its mechanism.
Herbal Medicine EBM Research Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 483 Expo-ro, Yusung-gu, Daejeon 305-811, Republic of Korea.
In Sik
IS
Shin
Chang Seob
CS
Seo
Hye Kyung
HK
Ha
Mee Young
MY
Lee
Dae Sun
DS
Huang
Jung Im
JI
Huh
Hyeun-Kyoo
HK
Shin
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000139:chemically induced; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D044950:Flavanones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D005960:Glucosides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D006569:Hesperidin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055670:Medicine, Korean Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D056910:Republic of Korea
D044950:Flavanones; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D005960:Glucosides; D009153:Mutagens; D028321:Plant Preparations; D019695:Glycyrrhizic Acid; D006569:Hesperidin; C512196:liquiritin