ABSTRACT
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Essential oils of palmarosa and citronella have been extensively used in ancient Indian and South-east Asian traditional medicines. AIM OF THE STUDY: These essential oils have been reported to exhibit antimicrobial, anti parasitic effects against bacteria, yeasts, filamentous fungi, and viruses. In the present study the oils were tested for their potential antigenotoxic and antioxidant properties in human lymphocyte cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antigenotoxic effect on human lymphocyte cells (measurement of cell viability, DNA damage) was studied using trypan blue dye exclusion test, plasmid pBR322 DNA strand scission, and comet assay. Anti-oxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH(+) free radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation assay. RESULTS: The essential oils showed a good antigenotoxic activity against methyl methanesulphonate (MMS) and hydrogen peroxide. In addition, a significant dose dependent antioxidant activity was observed. CONCLUSION: Our data provide evidence that support the usage of palmarosa and citronella essential oils in traditional herbal preparations. They can constitute a natural source of a new and safe antioxidant.
Subject(s)
Antimutagenic Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Cymbopogon , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Oils/pharmacology , Antimutagenic Agents/chemistry , Antimutagenic Agents/isolation & purification , Antioxidants/chemistry , Antioxidants/isolation & purification , Biphenyl Compounds/chemistry , Cell Survival/drug effects , Comet Assay , Cymbopogon/chemistry , DNA Damage/drug effects , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Humans , Lipid Peroxidation/drug effects , Lymphocytes/drug effects , Lymphocytes/pathology , Lymphocytes/radiation effects , Male , Mutagens/toxicity , Oils, Volatile/chemistry , Oils, Volatile/isolation & purification , Oxidants/toxicity , Picrates/chemistry , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Plant Oils/chemistry , Plant Oils/isolation & purification , Plants, Medicinal , Ultraviolet Rays , Young AdultABSTRACT
People live in the mountains distributed across the world and are exposed to reduced inspired oxygen and lower barometric pressure along with other factors that lead to high-altitude diseases. The present study was conducted to examine what extent of marketed medicines used in the management of high-altitude sickness has been tested for their genotoxic activity. Comet assay or the single-cell gel electrophoresis was utilized to evaluate genotoxicity of the six medicines on human peripheral whole blood cells and isolated lymphocytes at the concentrations 250 microg/mL, 500 microg/mL and 1 mg/mL. The comet assay endpoints included percentage Tail DNA (% Tail DNA) and olive tail moment (OTM) as they were considered to be sensitive and reliable scores across different laboratories. The results show that dexamethasone, deriphylline and furosemide can induce significant DNA damage in human whole blood and lymphocytes alike. Acetazolamide, ibuprofen and nifedipine show no genotoxic effect, neither on human whole blood nor on human lymphocytes. Taking into account the results of genotoxicity, it will be a prudent choice to restrict the use of these compounds for longer periods, until more information on the in vitro mutagenicity and in vivo genotoxicity studies are available.