Assessment of the genotoxic risk of Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae) whole fruit extracts

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 115; no. 3; pp. 416 - 422
• Main Authors: Sánchez-Lamar, Angel, Fonseca, Gladys, Fuentes, Jorge Luis, Cozzi, Renata, Cundari, Enrico, Fiore, Mario, Ricordy, Ruggero, Perticone, Paolo, Degrassi, Francesca, De Salvia, Rosella
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 12.02.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; CHO Cells; Chromosome Aberrations - drug effects; Conversion test; Cricetinae; Cricetulus; Cuba; Female; Fruit; General pharmacology; Genotoxicity; Influenza virus; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine, Traditional; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Micronuclei; Mutagenicity Tests; Mutagens - isolation & purification; Mutagens - toxicity; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - toxicity; Punica granatum; Punicaceae; Punicaceae - chemistry; Reversion test; Sister Chromatid Exchange - drug effects; Sister chromatid exchanges; Sperm-shape abnormality; Spermatozoa - drug effects; Iran; Asia; China; Cuba; Reversion test; Micronuclei; Genotoxicity; Punica granatum; Sister chromatid exchanges; Conversion test; Sperm-shape abnormality; Spermatozoa; Toxicity; Sister chromatid exchange; Extract; Germinal cell; Medicinal plant; Reversion; Folk medicine; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Punicaceae; Fruit tree; Evaluation; Fruit; Pharmacognosy; Risk factor; Plant origin; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2007.10.011

Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae) whole fruit extracts, have been used in Cuban traditional medicine as an effective drug for the treatment of respiratory diseases. This species showed interesting anti-viral activity, e.g. aqueous or hydroalcoholic extracts of whole fruits have proved highly active against the influenza virus. However, some toxic properties of this extract have also been reported and, to date, very little is known about its genotoxic properties. In the present study, the genotoxicity of a Punica granatum (pomegranate) whole fruit extract was assessed using different in vitro and in vivo assays that detect DNA damage at different expression levels. Results from reversion and gene-conversion test in microorganisms, sister chromatid exchanges, micronuclei and sperm-shape abnormality assays in mice, clearly showed that the hydroalcoholic extract of P. granatum whole fruits is genotoxic when tested both in vitro and in vivo.