title: Safety of Desmodium adscendens extract on hepatocytes and renal cells. Protective effect against oxidative stress.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The increased consumption of traditional medicinal plants has been driven by the notion that herbal products are safe and efficient. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and the protective effect of a hydro alcoholic extract of Desmodium adscendens (DA) on liver (HEPG2) and kidney (LLC-PK1) cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  A hydro alcoholic extract of DA was used. HEPG2 or LLC-PK1 cells were treated with different does of DA, and viability test (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium [MTS]), cytotoxicity assay lactate dehydrogenase (LDH release) and study of the cell morphology were used in order to determine effects of DA on these two cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A viability test (MTS), a cytotoxicity assay LDH release and a study of the cell morphology revealed that pretreatment with 1 mg/ml or 10 mg/ml DA did not alter viability or LDH release in HEPG2 or LLC-PK1 cells. However, DA at the dose of 100 mg/ml significantly decreased cell viability, by about 40% (P < 0.05). Further, MTS studies revealed that DA 1 mg/ml or 10 mg/ml protected LLC-PK1 cells against a glucose-induced oxidative stress of 24 h (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hence, the lowest concentrations of DA (1 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml) were safe for HEPG2 and LLC-PK1 and protective against an oxidative stress in LLC-PK1 cells. These data suggest that DA extracts used as a traditional herbal as food health supplements should be used at the lowest dosage.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U927, Faculty of Medicine, University of Poitiers & CHU la Miléterie, Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: François
authors.affiliation: INSERM U927, Faculty of Medicine, University of Poitiers & CHU la Miléterie, Poitiers, France.
authors.forename: Mourad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fares
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baiocchi
authors.affiliation: PROTEE Laboratory, Université du Sud Toulon-Var, La Garde Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Jean Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Maixent
keywords: Cytoprotection; Desmodium adscendens; HEPG2; LLC-PK1; glucose-induced stress; toxicity