title: Estrogenic and mutagenic activities of Crotalaria pallida measured by recombinant yeast assay and Ames test.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Crotalaria pallida Ailton is a plant belonging to the Fabaceae family, popularly known as "rattle or rattlesnake" and used in traditional medicine to treat swelling of the joints and as a vermifuge. Previous pharmacological studies have also reported anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antifungal activities. Nevertheless, scientific information regarding this species is scarce, and there are no reports related to its possible estrogenic and mutagenic effects. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the estrogenic potential of C. pallida leaves by means of the Recombinant Yeast Assay (RYA), seeking an alternative for estrogen replacement therapy during menopause; and to reflect on the safe use of natural products to assess the mutagenic activity of the crude extract from C. pallida leaves, the dichloromethane fraction and stigmasterol by means of the Ames test.
  
  
  METHODS
  The recombinant yeast assay with the strain BY4741 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was performed with the ethanolic extract, dichloromethane fraction and stigmasterol isolated from the leaves of C. pallida. Mutagenic activity was evaluated by the Salmonella/microsome assay (Ames test), using the Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA100, TA98, TA97 and TA102, with (+S9) and without (-S9) metabolization, by the preincubation method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All samples showed estrogenic activity, mainly stigmasterol. The ethanolic extract from C. pallida leaves showed mutagenic activity in the TA98 strain (-S9), whereas dichloromethane fraction and stigmasterol were found devoid of activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the excellent estrogenic activity performed by stigmasterol in the RYA associated with the absence of mutagenic activity when evaluated by the Ames test, stigmasterol becomes a strong candidate to be used in hormone replacement therapy during menopause.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boldrin
authors.forename: Flávia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Resende
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Höhne
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Camargo
authors.forename: Lívia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Espanha
authors.forename: Catarine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.forename: Wagner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vilegas
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Varanda
mesh_terms: D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D029864:Crotalaria / Q000009:adverse effects; D008861:Microsomes / Q000187:drug effects; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests / Q000379:methods; D009153:Mutagens; D048789:Phytoestrogens / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000187:drug effects; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects; D013265:Stigmasterol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D009153:Mutagens; D048789:Phytoestrogens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013265:Stigmasterol