title: Determination of the Mutagenicity Potential of Sankol Herbal Medicine by Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis in Rat Hepatocytes in Comparison With H2O2.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The increasing use of herbal drugs and their ease of accessibility and availability have necessitated the use of mutagenicity test to analyze their toxicity and safety.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the genotoxicity of Sankol herbal medicine in DNA breakage of rat hepatocytes in comparison with H2O2 by single cell gel electrophoresis technique or comet assay.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the current study hepatocytes were prepared from male wistar rats. Hepatocytes cells were counted and kept in a bioreactor for 30 minutes,then cells were exposed to Sankol herbal medicine at doses of 100, 200 and 400 μl/ml. Buffer 4 (incubation buffer) and H2O2 were used for one hour as negative and positive control respectively. After 30 minutes cell suspension with low melting point agarose was put on precoated slides and covered with agarose gel. Then lysing, electrophoresis, neutralization and staining were carried out. Finally the slides were analyzed by fluorescence microscope. The parameter under this analysis was the type of migration which was determined according to Kobayashi pattern.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results of the study indicated that by increasing the dose of Sankol herbal medicine, the DNA damage slightly increased (P < 0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In overall compared to the positive control, significant differences were observed which indicated that the crude extract of Sankol in vitro did not have mutagenic effect.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Medicinal plant Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Heibatullah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalantari
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Medicinal plant Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezaei
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Medicinal plant Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahdavinia
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Medicinal plant Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Rashid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jahangirnejad
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Medicinal plant Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Golnaz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varnaseri
keywords: Comet Assay; Herbal Medicine; Toxicity Tests