title: The mutagenic, antimutagenic and antioxidant properties of Hypericum lydium.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a growing market demand for Hypericum sp., a pharmacologically active plant that has been traditionally used to treat various ailments. However, there have been limited studies on the extract or essential oil of Hypericum lydium Boiss (Hypericaceae).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates for the first time the antioxidant, mutagenic and antimutagenic activity of an ethanol extract of H. lydium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ethanol extract from aerial parts of H. lydium harvested from Turkey were tested for this mutagenic and antimutagenic activities (2.0-0.002 mg/plate) using Ames Salmonella/microsome test system. 4-Nitro-o-phenylenediamine (4-NPD) (3 μg/plate) for the Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and sodium azide (NaN3) (8 μg/plate) for the S. typhimurium TA100 were used as positive controls. The antioxidant activity, total antioxidant activity and phenolic constituent of the extract (2.0-0.002 mg/mL) was determined by the inhibition of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), β-carotene-linoleic acid model and by means of Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The extract showed no sign of mutagenicity at the tested concentrations (0.002-2.0 mg/mL), and showed concentration-dependent antimutagenic activity against NaN3and 4-NPD ranging from 26.8 to 81.5%. The extract was found to be an efficient scavenger of DPPH (IC500.165 ± 0.23 mg/mL) and to inhibit β-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching (IC500.39 ± 0.11 mg/mL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate ethanol extract of H. lydium to be a safe and effective agent that may be incorporated into new strategies for the prevention of cancer and mutagenesis.
authors.affiliation: a Medical Laboratory Program, Department of Medical Services and Techniques, Vocational School of Health Service , Aksaray University , Aksaray , Turkey.
authors.forename: Rukiye
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boran
authors.affiliation: b Section of Medical Microbiology, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry , Gazi University , Ankara , Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ugur
mesh_terms: D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D020902:Hypericum / Q000737:chemistry*; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009153:Mutagens / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010851:Picrates / Q000737:chemistry; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D009153:Mutagens; D010851:Picrates; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012997:Solvents; D019207:beta Carotene; D000431:Ethanol; D019787:Linoleic Acid; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl
keywords: Antimutagenicity; free radical damage; natural products