Absence of genotoxicity of a phytotherapeutic extract from Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville in somatic and germ cells of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville, a medicinal plant that grows in the "cerrados" (a savanna ecosystem) of Brazil, popularly known as "Barbatimão," is an important source of tannins (polyphenols). In Brazil, it is used in industry (mainly as vegetable tanning) and also in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. In the present study, a phytotherapeutic extract from S. adstringens stem bark was evaluated for mutagenic and recombinagenic effects using the wing spot test of Drosophila melanogaster (somatic mutation and recombination test, SMART), and for chromosome damage in germ cells using the Drosophila sex-chromosome loss test (ring-X loss). For SMART, the standard as well as the high bioactivation fly crosses were used; the latter cross is characterized by a high sensitivity to promutagens and procarcinogens. Third-instar larvae from these two crosses were treated for 48 hr with different concentrations (66%, 75%, and 100%) of the phytotherapeutic extract. The wings of the emerging adults were analyzed for the occurrence of different types of mutant spots. No statistically significant differences in spot frequencies between controls and treated series were observed. For the ring-X loss test, adult males were fed with the same concentrations of the extract as in the wing spot test. No statistically significant increases in ring-X losses were observed. The results of our experiments suggest that the phytotherapeutic extract from S. adstringens stem bark is not genotoxic in somatic and germ cells of D. melanogaster.

Modulatory effects of Duguetia furfuracea (A. St. Hil) Benth. and Hook. f. in Drosophila melanogaster somatic and germinative cells

“…The ring-X-loss test results using D. furfuracea infusion were also compared to those reported by de Sousa et al (2003), who investigated the effect of Stryphnodendron adstringens in D. melanogaster germinative cells. Using 66% of the plant extract, the researchers observed a 1.37% loss of the ring-X-chromosome for Brood 3.…”

“…It has also been used against kidney disease. Screening of plant species in this family is of great importance since substances with cytotoxic, antiplasmodial, antiparasitic, pesticidal, antimicrobial, antifungal, antimalarial, antioxidant, and antitumor activities have been identified (Frana and Sufredini, 2000;Garcia et al, 2000;de Sousa et al, 2003).…”

“…as a possible source of one natural antineoplastic agent (Santos and Boaventura, 1994). Most acetogenines found in plants of the Annonaceae family have presented anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo against different neoplastic cell lines (de Sousa et al, 2003). A possible anti-tumor activity attributed to the acetogenines found in the plants of the Annonaceae family was experimentally demonstrated by the interruption of ATP production through the inhibition of the enzymes oxi-NADH ubiquinone-reductase (complex I) of the mitochondrial electron transport system (Pollo-Zafra et al, 1996) and ubiquinone-NADH oxidase enzyme, present in the plasma membrane of tumor cells (Morré et al, 1995).…”

Antigenotoxic effects of Mandevilla velutina (Gentianales, Apocynaceae) crude extract on cyclophosphamide-induced micronuclei in Swiss mice and urethane-induced somatic mutation and recombination in Drosophila melanogaster

“…These data are in line with those reported with bleomycin, diethylnitrosamine and procarbazine (Graf et al, 1984), cyclophosphamide (Spanó et al, 2001) and a phytotherapeutic extract from Stryphnodendron adstringes (Mart.) Coville (Sousa et al, 2003).…”

Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville (Fabaceae) proanthocyanidins quantitation by RP-HPLC

“…administration of barbatimão aqueous extract in mice promotes its toxic effects. On the other hand, Costa et al (2010) and Sousa et al (2003) reported that the extract of S. adstringens and its proanthocyanidin polymer-rich fraction did not show genotoxicity.…”