title: Genotoxicity of  the medicinal plant Maytenus robusta in mammalian cells in vivo.
abstract: Plants  belonging to the Celastraceae family have been used in traditional medicine for  their analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcerogenic properties, among  others. Maytenus ilicifolia is the principal species of this family, and  is used in the treatment of gastric ulcers. However, owing to its inadequate  management in Brazil, the species is becoming extinct and is being substituted  with Maytenus robusta, which also displays gastroprotective activity.  The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic effects of M. robusta hydroalcoholic  extract in vivo, using the comet assay and micronucleus test. Three  doses (50, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) were administered to mice orally 2  times at 24-h intervals. Cytotoxicity was assessed by scoring 200 consecutive  total polychromatic and normochromatic erythrocytes to calculate their ratio.  Parametric (analysis of variance/Tukey) and non-parametric (Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn post hoc) tests were used to evaluate the results according to the  nature of the data distribution. The results showed a significant increase in  the frequency of DNA damage on leukocytes at the 2 higher doses tested, but the  extract did not enhance micronucleus frequency in bone marrow cells. Our  findings showed that after 48 h of treatment, M. robusta hydroalcoholic  extract had weak genotoxic effects but no clastogenic effects in mice cells.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Julio de Mesquita Filho", Marília, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Raymundo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Favilla
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Niero
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Maistro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D020552:Comet Assay; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008322:Mammals / Q000378:metabolism*; D029755:Maytenus / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000633:toxicity*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D004247:DNA