title: In vitro and in vivo antimutagenic effects of DIG, a herbal preparation of Berberis vulgaris, Taraxacum officinale and Arctium lappa, against mitomycin C.
abstract: DIG, a liquid herbal preparation made from a mixture of diluted mother tinctures of Berberis vulgaris, Taraxacum officinale and Arctium lappa, was assessed for its antimutagenic properties against mitomycin C. The micronucleus assay on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells was used to evaluate the in vitro anticlastogenic activity of DIG compared to those of separately diluted mother tinctures. The micronucleus assay was performed on mouse erythrocytes and the comet assay was performed on mouse liver, kidney, lung, brain and testicles to assess the protective effects of DIG (0.2 and 2 % at libitum) against an intraperitoneal injection of mitomycin C (1 mg Kg(-1)) in mice. DIG exerted a powerful anticlastogenic activity, under both pretreatment and simultaneous treatment conditions as assessed by the micronucleus assay in CHO-K1 cells. Its protective activity was greater than that observed for each mother tincture. DIG reduced micronuclei levels in mouse erythrocytes and suppressed >80 % of DNA strand breaks in the liver, kidney, lung, brain and testicles of mice exposed to mitomycin C.
authors: Laboratoire de Mutagenèse Environnementale, IMBE, IFR ECCOREV, Faculté de Pharmacie, Aix-Marseille Univ, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille Cedex 05, France, carole.di-giorgio@univ-amu.fr.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Di Giorgio
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Boyer
authors: M
authors: M
authors: De Meo
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Laurant
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Elias
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Ollivier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031170:Arctium / Q000737:chemistry; D028142:Berberis / Q000737:chemistry; D016466:CHO Cells; D020552:Comet Assay; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000633:toxicity*; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031205:Taraxacum / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D009153:Mutagens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D016685:Mitomycin