Acute genotoxicity analysis in vivo of the aqueous extract of Maytenus guyanensis Amazonian chichuá

• Published in: Revista brasileira de farmacognosia Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 164 - 169
• Main Authors: Meneguetti, Dionatas Ulises de Oliveira, Lima, Renato Abreu, da Silva, Francisco Carlos, Passarini, Guilherme Matos, Facundo, João Bezerra, Pagotto, Rubiani de Cassia, Militão, Júlio Sancho Linhares Teixeira, Facundo, Valdir Alves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Cham Elsevier Editora Ltda 01.03.2015; Springer International Publishing; Sociedade Brasileira de Farmacognosia
• Subjects: Maytenus guyanensis; Mutagenicity; Original Article; PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY; Pharmacy; Western Amazon; Western Amazon; Mutagenicity; Maytenus guyanensis
• ISSN: 0102-695X; 1981-528X; 1981-528X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bjp.2015.03.003

The species Maytenus guyanensis Klotzsch ex Reissek, Celastraceae, present a wide variety of possible pharmacological activities and its roots and stems are used by popular medicine in the western Amazon rainforest. Few studies have demonstrated the genotoxic safety of the popular use of this species, and owing to this, the present study aimed to perform an analysis of the acute genotoxicity in vivo of the aqueous extract of M. guyanensis. Male and female mice from Mus musculus species, of weights ranging from 20 to 40g, organized in eight groups with different treatments were used. The aqueous extracts of the bark of M. guyanensis were administered orally by gavage with 0.1ml of the test substance per 10g of the animal, followed by performance of comet assay in peripheral blood, PCE/NCE correlation and occurrence of micronuclei in the bone marrow. It was found that the aqueous extract of M. guyanensis, with ten times higher concentration than those used in ethnopharmacology, did not present genotoxic effect and, moreover, it has antigenotoxic action in mice treated acutely. Further studies regarding bioaccumulation and chronic effects of this species are suggested, in order to improve the understanding of its mechanism of action, ensuring the efficacy and safety of its utilization and developing phytotherapics and drugs.