title: Determination of the mutagenicity potential of supermint herbal medicine by single cell gel electrophoresis in rat hepatocytes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The increasing use of herbal drugs and their easy availability have necessitated the use of mutagenicity test to analyze their toxicity and safety. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxicity of Supermint herbal medicine in DNA breakage of rat hepatocytes in comparison with sodium dichromate by single cell gel electrophoresis technique or comet assay.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepatocytes were prepared from male wistar rats and were counted and kept in a bioreactor for 30 minutes. Then cells were exposed to the Supermint herbal medicine at doses of 125, 250 and 500 µl/ml. Buffer 4 (incubation buffer) and sodium dichromate were used as negative and positive control for one hour respectively. Then cell suspension with low melting point agarose were put on precoated slides and covered with agarose gel. Then lysing, electrophoresis, neutralization and staining were carried out. Finally the slides were analyzed with fluorescence microscope. The parameter under this analysis was the type of migration which was determined according to Kobayashi pattern.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With increased dose of Supermint herbal medicine the DNA damage was slightly increased (P<0001). Conlusion: In overall compared to the positive control significant differences is observed which convinced that the crude extract of Supermint in vitro did not have mutagenic effect. Conlusion: In overall compared to the positive control significant differences is observed which convinced that the crude extract of Supermint in vitro did not have mutagenic effect.
authors: Faculty of Pharmacy, Toxicology Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors: Heibatullah
authors: H
authors: Kalantari
authors: Mohsen
authors: M
authors: Rezaei
authors: Masoud
authors: M
authors: Mahdavinia
authors: Mojtaba
authors: M
authors: Kalantar
authors: Zivar
authors: Z
authors: Amanpour
authors: Golnaz
authors: G
authors: Varnaseri
keywords: Comet assay; Herbal medicine; Supermint; Toxicity tests