Cytogenotoxic evaluations of leaves and stems extracts of Rubus rosifolius in primary metabolically noncompetent cells.

Plants with medicinal potential may also produce adverse effects in humans. This seems to be the case for the species Rubus rosifolius, where preliminary studies demonstrated genotoxic effects attributed to extracts obtained from leaves and stems of this plant using on HepG2/C3A human hepatoma cells as a model. Considering the beneficial properties of this plant as an antidiarrheal, analgesic, antimicrobial, and antihypertensive and its effects in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, the present study was developed with the aim of determining the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of extracts of leaves and stems of R. rosifolius in primary without metabolic competence in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Cell viability analyses at concentrations of between 0.01 and 100 µg/ml of both extracts did not markedly affect cell viability. In contrast, assessment of the genotoxic potential using the comet assay demonstrated significant damage to DNA within PBMC from a concentration of 10 µg/ml in the stem extract, and a clastogenic/aneugenic response without cytokinesis-block proliferation index (CBPI) alterations at concentrations of 10, 20, or 100 µg/ml for both extracts. Under our experimental conditions, the data obtained demonstrated genotoxic and mutagenic effects attributed to extracts from leaves and stems of R. rosifolius in cells in the absence of hepatic metabolism.

Rubus rosifolius (Rosaceae) stem extract induces cell injury and apoptosis in human hepatoma cell line.

Rubus rosifolius, popularly known as "red mulberry", is a common medicinal plant in southern Brazil and is used as an antidiarrheal, analgesic, antimicrobial and antihypertensive, and to treat stomach diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze the R. rosifolius stem extract (RrSE) for possible in vitro cytotoxic and genotoxic effects, using the comet assay and the micronucleus test to assess genotoxicity, and flow cytometry to assess the impact on the cell cycle and apoptosis in HepG2/C3A cells, in addition to evaluating the expression of genes linked to the induction of DNA damage, cell cycle, apoptosis and metabolism of xenobiotics. The MTT assay observed no cytotoxic effects at concentrations between 0.01 and 100 µg/mL of the extract. However, genotoxic effects occurred in treatments with the extract from a 1 µg/mL concentration. Flow cytometry analysis revealed a significant increase in cells in the G2/M phase after treatment with 10 µg/mL, a decrease in cells in the G0/G1 phase in the treatment with 100 µg/mL, and a significant increase in total apoptotic cells. In the gene expression analysis, an increase in the CYP1A2 xenobiotics metabolizing gene expression was observed. Despite the promising pharmacological effects of R. rosifolius, the results revealed that the RrSE has genotoxic effect and induces apoptosis in HepG2/C3A cells, indicating danger in using this plant extract by humans.

Fruit extract of the medicinal plant Crataegus oxyacantha exerts genotoxic and mutagenic effects in cultured cells.

Crataegus oxyacantha, a plant of the Rosaceae family also known "English hawthorn, haw, maybush, or whitethorn," has long been used for medicinal purposes such as digestive disorders, hyperlipidemia, dyspnea, inducing diuresis, and preventing kidney stones. However, the predominant use of this plant has been to treat cardiovascular disorders. Due to a lack of studies on the genotoxicity of C. oxyacantha, this investigation was undertaken to determine whether its fruit extract exerts cytotoxic, genotoxic, or clastogenic/aneugenic effects in leukocytes and HepG2 (liver hepatocellular carcinoma) cultured human cells, or mutagenic effects in TA100 and TA98 strains of Salmonella typhimurium bacterium. Genotoxicity analysis showed that the extract produced no marked genotoxic effects at concentrations of 2.5 or 5 µg/ml in either cell type; however, at concentrations of 10 µg/ml or higher significant DNA damage was detected. The micronucleus test also demonstrated that concentrations of 10 µg/ml or higher produced clastogenic/aneugenic responses. In the Ames test, the extract induced mutagenic effects in TA98 strain of S. typhimurium with metabolic activation at all tested concentrations (2.5 to 500 µg/ml). Data indicate that, under certain experimental conditions, the fruit extract of C. oxyacantha exerts genotoxic and clastogenic/aneugenic effects in cultured human cells, and with metabolism mutagenicity occurs in bacteria cells.