title: Genotoxic assessment of Rubus imperialis (Rosaceae) extract in vivo and its potential chemoprevention against cyclophosphamide-induced DNA damage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rubus imperialis Cham. Schl. (Rosaceae) is frequently used in traditional medicine as hypoglycemic, antinociceptive and antiviral remedy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Swiss albino mice were distributed in eight groups for acute treatment with Rubus imperialis extract (24 h). The extract doses selected were 50, 250 and 500 mg/kg b.w. administered by gavage alone or plus to CPA (50 mg/kg b.w.) administered by intraperitoneal injection. Control groups were treated in a similar way. Analyses were performed using the comet assay, on leukocytes (collected 4 and 24h after treatment) and liver (collected 24 h after treatment), and using the micronucleus test (MN) in bone marrow cells. Cytotoxicity was assessed by scoring 200 consecutive polychromatic (PCE) and normochromatic (NCE) erythrocytes (PCE/NCE ratio).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main compounds identified in the Rubus imperialis extract were saponins and steroidal compounds, with niga-ichigoside and tormentic acid being the major compounds. Tested doses of Rubus imperialis extract showed no genotoxic effects on leukocytes from peripheral blood or liver cells by the comet assay. However, the MN test showed an increase in the frequency of micronucleated cells at the two higher doses tested, indicating that this extract has clastogenic/aneugenic effects on bone marrow cells at higher doses. On the other hand, for all cells evaluated, the three tested doses of the Rubus imperialis extract promoted inhibition of DNA damage induced by CPA. Despite the chemoprevention observed, the clastogenicity/aneugenicity observed suggested caution about either continuous or high-dose usage of Rubus imperialis aerial parts extract by humans.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP - Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências, Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Av. Hygino Muzzi Filho, 737, Caixa Postal 181, Marília, São Paulo 17525-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Beatriz Costa Rodrigues
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP - Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências, Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Av. Hygino Muzzi Filho, 737, Caixa Postal 181, Marília, São Paulo 17525-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafaella Souza
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP - Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências, Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Av. Hygino Muzzi Filho, 737, Caixa Postal 181, Marília, São Paulo 17525-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Susana de Santana
authors.initials: Sde S
authors.lastname: Calil
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Núcleo de Investigações Químico-Farmacêuticas (NIQFAR), Universidade do Vale do Itajaí - UNIVALI, Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rivaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Niero
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Núcleo de Investigações Químico-Farmacêuticas (NIQFAR), Universidade do Vale do Itajaí - UNIVALI, Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jhonny da Silva
authors.initials: Jda S
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP - Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas, Departamento de Ciências Exatas e da Terra, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fábio F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Perazzo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP - Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas, Departamento de Ciências Exatas e da Terra, Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo César Pires
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Núcleo de Investigações Químico-Farmacêuticas (NIQFAR), Universidade do Vale do Itajaí - UNIVALI, Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sérgio Faloni
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Núcleo de Investigações Químico-Farmacêuticas (NIQFAR), Universidade do Vale do Itajaí - UNIVALI, Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
authors.forename: Valdir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cechinel-Filho
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP - Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências, Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Av. Hygino Muzzi Filho, 737, Caixa Postal 181, Marília, São Paulo 17525-900, Brazil. Electronic address: edson.maistro@marilia.unesp.br.
authors.forename: Edson Luis
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Maistro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020552:Comet Assay; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D065856:Rubus
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D009153:Mutagens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D003520:Cyclophosphamide
keywords: Antigenotoxic effects; Comet assay; Micronucleus test; Rosaceae; Rubus imperialis