title: Protection of cadmium chloride induced DNA damage by Lamiaceae plants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the total phenolic content, DNA protecting and radical scavenging activity of ethanolic leaf extracts of three Lamiaceae plants, i.e. Anisomelos malabarica (A. malabarica), Leucas aspera (L. aspera) and Ocimum basilicum (O. basilicum).
  
  
  METHODS
  The total polyphenols and flavonoids were analyzed in the ethanolic leaf extracts of the lamiaceae plants. To determine the DNA protecting activity, various concentrations of the plant extracts were prepared and treated on cultured HepG2 human lung cancer cells. The pretreated cells were exposed to H2O2 to induce DNA damage through oxidative stress. Comet assay was done and the tail length of individual comets was measured. Nitric oxide and superoxide anion scavenging activities of lamiaceae plants were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the three plant extracts, the highest amount of total phenolic content was found in O. basilicum (189.33 mg/g), whereas A. malabarica showed high levels of flavonoids (10.66 mg/g). O. basilicum also showed high levels of DNA protecting (85%) and radical scavenging activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study shows that bioactive phenols present in lamiaceae plants may prevent carcinogenesis through scavenging free radicals and inhibiting DNA damage.
authors.affiliation: PG and Research Department of Biotechnology, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, GN Mills, Coimbatore-029, Tamil nadu, India.
authors.forename: Ramaraj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thirugnanasampandan
authors.forename: Rajarajeswaran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jayakumar
mesh_terms: D019256:Cadmium Chloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D020552:Comet Assay; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D019686:Lamiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D010936:Plant Extracts; D020011:Protective Agents; D019256:Cadmium Chloride
keywords: Antioxidant activity; Cadmium chloride; Comet assay; DNA damage; Lamiaceae plants; Phenols