ABSTRACT. Luehea divaricata is a native plant of the Brazilian Cerrado, known as "açoita-cavalo". It is used as a popular herbal medicine in the treatment of dysentery, bleeding, arthritis, tumors, ulcers, and gangrenous wounds. Considering that herbal medicines sometimes provoke tumors and/or may prevent mutational events, it is important to study the action of these natural drugs on DNA. Aqueous extract of the bark of L. divaricata was evaluated at three different concentrations (0.10, 0.30, 0.50 mg/mL), individually and in combination with the neoplastic drug doxorubicin (DXR), by the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART/wing) in Drosophila melanogaster. Distilled water was included as a negative control. The mutation frequency in the treatments with L. divaricata extract alone was not significantly higher than in the negative control for standard (ST) and high bioactivation (HB) crosses. When L. divaricata extract was combined with DXR, there was a significant reduction in the frequency of spots when compared to DXR alone, in both crosses. Further studies with other experimental models would be useful to confirm that L. divaricata extract is not harmful and that it could be used in the prevention of cancer.

Commonly used guidelines for the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (highly active antiretroviral therapy, HAART) include drug combinations such as tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) + lamivudine (3TC) and combivir [zidovudine (AZT) + 3TC] + efavirenz (EFV). These combinations may enhance the genotoxic effects induced by such drugs individually, since the therapy requires lifelong adherence and the drugs have unknown effects during treatment. Thus, the evaluation of the benefits and risks of HAART is of great importance. In order to assess the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of three concentrations of each of the antiretroviral combinations TDF + 3TC (800 + 400, 1600 + 800, and 3200 + 1600 mg/kg body weight, BW) and combivir + EFV (200 + 100 + 400, 400 + 200 + 800, and 800 + 400 + 1600 mg/kg BW) after two exposure periods (24 h and 48 h), in the present study the in vivo comet assay (single-cell gel electrophoresis) and the mouse bone marrow micronucleus test were used. Neither TDF + 3TC nor combivir + EFV induced DNA damage at any concentrations tested after 24 h or 48 h using the comet assay. After 24 h, both combinations increased the micronucleus frequency at all concentrations tested. After 48 h, combivir + EFV increased the micronucleated polychromatic erythrocyte (MNPCE) frequency at the two highest concentrations tested. Polychromatic erythrocytes (PCE)/normochromatic erythrocytes (NCE) ratio was high for both combinations, suggesting that they can be mitogenic. Since genotoxicity may be related to carcinogenesis, it is necessary to conduct further studies to verify the long-term mutagenic effects of these drugs.

ResumoO resgate e a valorização do conhecimento popular acerca do uso de plantas medicinais para a saúde e sua utilização consciente, se tornam cada vez mais necessário devido ao alto custo dos medicamentos sintéticos.A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo identificar as espécies de plantas medicinais mais utilizadas pela comunidade escolar de um Centro de Educação Infantil em Goiânia-Goiás e conscientizar de acordo com a literatura a comunidade escolar sobre formas de uso, benefícios, toxicidade das plantas medicinais utilizadas. Para a realização do presente estudo foramempregadas as seguintes estratégias: aplicação de questionários para a comunidade escolar, análise dos dados, e entrega de material explicativo com levantamento das propriedades tóxicas e formas de uso das espécies de plantas medicinais mais usadas pela comunidade escolar. A partirdosresultados obtidosfoi demonstradoo nível de conhecimento que a comunidade escolar tem sobre o uso de plantas medicinais, formas de usoe efeitos adversos à saúde. Dosparticipantes na pesquisa mais de 80% foram do sexo feminino e relataram fazer uso de plantas medicinais frequentemente em suas crianças, onde ressaltaram também seus conhecimentos sobre plantas medicinais foram adquiridos por meio do contato familiar. Com relação às plantas medicinais, as mais citadas foram a Mentha x villosa(hortelã), Plectranthusbarbatus(boldo),Matricaria recutita(camomila), Vernonia polyanthes(assa-peixe),Melissa officinalis L(erva-cidreira). Frente às doenças prevalentes da infância, a alternativa da utilização de plantas medicinais pelas mães das crianças é uma possibilidade acessível e eficiente. Revelando assim a importância do presente estudo que visa informar e conscientizar esses pais que utilizam plantas medicinais. Palavras-chave: terapia natural. uso popular.educaçãoinfantil.etnobotânica. Efeito tóxico.

The chalcone (E)-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(4-methylphenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one), or 2HMC, displays antileishmanial, antimalarial, and antioxidant activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic, genotoxic, mutagenic, and protective effects of 2HMC using the Ames mutagenicity test, the mouse bone marrow micronucleus test, and the comet assay in mice. In the assessment using the Ames test, 2HMC did not increase the number of His+ revertants in Salmonella typhimurium strains, demonstrating lack of mutagenicity. 2HMC showed no significant increase in micronucleated polychromatic erythrocyte frequency (MNPCE) in the micronucleus test, or in DNA strand breaks using the comet assay, evidencing absence of genotoxicity. Regarding cytotoxicity, 2HMC exhibited moderate cytotoxicity in mouse bone marrow cells by micronucleus test. 2HMC showed antimutagenic action in co-administration with the positive controls, sodium azide (SA) and 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO), in the Ames test. Co-administered and mainly pre-administered with cyclophosphamide (CPA), 2HMC caused a decrease in the frequency of MNPCE using the micronucleus test and in DNA strand breaks using the comet assay. Thus, 2HMC exhibited antimutagenic and antigenotoxic effects, displaying a DNA-protective effect against CPA, SA, and 4NQO carcinogens. In conclusion, 2HMC presented antimutagenic, antigenotoxic and moderate cytotoxic effects; therefore it is a promising molecule for cancer prevention.

ABSTRACT. Hymenaea courbaril L., popularly known as jatobá, is a plant species that grows in the forests of South America. The species has been used for culinary purposes and in folk medicine to treat arthritis and inflammations. Due to the increasing use of this plant globally, the present study aimed to evaluate the toxic, genotoxic, recombinogenic, and antigenotoxic effects of H. courbaril sap (Hycs) using the mouse bone marrow micronucleus test and the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) in Drosophila melanogaster. To evaluate the aneugenic and clastogenic activities revealed by the micronucleus test, the animals were treated with 3 doses of Hycs (5, 10, and 15 mL/kg body weight). To evaluate the antianeugenic and anticlastogenic activities, the animals were simultaneously treated with Hycs and mitomycin C (4 mg/kg body weight). To assess the mutagenic and recombinogenic activities using SMART, 3-day-old larvae derived from standard and high bioactivation crosses were treated with 3 doses of Hycs (3.0, 1.5, and 0.3 mL) for approximately 48 h. To evaluate antimutagenic and antirecombinogenic Protective effects of jatobá in mice and D. melanogaster activities, larvae derived from both crosses were co-treated with 3 doses of Hycs (3.0, 1.5, and 0.3 mL) and doxorubicin (0.125 mg/ mL). The mouse bone marrow micronucleus test revealed that Hycs exhibited no cytotoxic, clastogenic and/or aneugenic effects, but did show anticytotoxic, anticlastogenic and/or antianeugenic activities. The SMART revealed no mutagenic or recombinogenic effects, but antimutagenic and antirecombinogenic activities were observed in somatic cells of D. melanogaster from both crosses.