Antigenotoxic effect of extract from Cynara cardunculus L

• Published in: Phytotherapy research Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 77 - 81
• Main Authors: Miadokova, E., Nadova, S., Vlckova, V., Duhova, V., Kopaskova, M., Cipak, L., Rauko, P., Mucaji, P., Grancai, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.01.2008; Wiley
• Subjects: 4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide - pharmacology; antigenotoxicity; Antimutagenic Agents - chemistry; Antimutagenic Agents - pharmacology; antioxidant; Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Cynara - chemistry; Cynara cardunculus L. extract; DNA Damage - drug effects; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Fluorenes - pharmacology; General pharmacology; Medical sciences; Mutagenicity Tests; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - drug effects; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Salmonella typhimurium; Salmonella typhimurium - drug effects; Salmonella typhimurium - genetics; Vicia sativa - drug effects; Vicia sativa - genetics; Vicia sativa L; Ascomycota; Cynara cardunculus L. extract; Pharmacognosy; Vicia sativa L; antigenotoxicity; Extract; Compositae; Antioxidant; Salmonella typhimurium; Medicinal plant; Fungi; Vicia sativa; Leguminosae; Vegetable crop; Cynara cardunculus; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Plant origin; Bacteria; Spermatophyta; Fodder crop; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.2268

The extract of artichoke Cynara cardunculus L. (CCE) was investigated for its potential antigenotoxic and antioxidant effects using four experimental model systems. In the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutagenicity/antimutagenicity assay, CCE significantly reduced the frequency of 4‐nitroquinoline‐N‐oxide‐induced revertants at the ilv1 locus and mitotic gene convertants at the trp5 locus in the diploid Saccharomyces cerevisiae tester strain D7. In the simultaneous toxicity and clastogenicity/anticlastogenicity assay, it exerted an anticlastogenic effect against N‐nitroso‐N′‐methylurea‐induced clastogenicity in the plant species Vicia sativa L. On the contrary, despite CCE not being mutagenic itself, in the preincubation Ames assay with metabolic activation, it significantly increased the mutagenic effect of 2‐aminofluorene in the bacterial strain Salmonella typhimurium TA98. In the 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, CCE exhibited considerable antioxidant activity. The SC50 value representing 0.0054% CCE corresponds to an antioxidant activity of 216.8 µm ascorbic acid which was used as a reference compound. Although the mechanism of CCE action still remains to be elucidated, different possible mechanisms are probably involved in the CCE antigenotoxic effects. It could be concluded that CCE is of particular interest as a suitable candidate for an effective chemopreventive agent. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.