Lack of cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of Minthostachys verticillata essential oil: Studies in vitro and in vivo

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology Vol. 50; no. 9; pp. 3062 - 3067
• Main Authors: Escobar, Franco Matías, Cariddi, Laura Noelia, Sabini, María Carola, Reinoso, Elina, Sutil, Sonia Beatriz, Torres, Cristina Vanesa, Zanon, Silvia Matilde, Sabini, Liliana Inés
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: agarose; Animals; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; bone marrow cells; Carcinogenicity Tests; Cercopithecus aethiops; chemical composition; Chromatography, Gas; Cytotoxicity; DNA fragmentation; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; erythrocytes; Essential oil; essential oils; ethnobotany; Female; Gas chromatography; gel electrophoresis; General pharmacology; Genotoxicity; human cell lines; Humans; in vitro studies; In Vitro Techniques; Lamiaceae - chemistry; Male; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; menthone; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Minthostachys verticillata; mononuclear leukocytes; Mutagenicity Tests; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Toxicology; Vero Cells; Minthostachys verticillata; MN; GC–FID; Genotoxicity; Cytotoxicity; PBMCs; MNPCE; NRU; NCE; Gas chromatography; PCE; FCS; Essential oil; HD; Mv-EO; Apoptosis; Toxicity; Biochemical compound; Experimental study; In vitro; In vivo; Cell death; DNA; Plant origin; Nucleic acid; Physicochemical method
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2012.06.018

► Toxicity and chemical composition of Minthostachys verticillata essential oil were studied. ► The main compounds were pulegone, menthone and limonene. ► The essential oil not induced cytotoxic effect both on Vero cell and human PBMCs. ► The oil not induced apoptosis on human PBMCs nor genotoxicity on erythrocytes of mice. ► The results suggest this species appears to be a safe therapeutic agent. Minthostachys verticillata (peperina) is an aromatic and medicinal plant with several uses and ethnobotanical properties. Numerous studies have demonstrated that its essential oil (Mv-EO) presents antimicrobial capacity and shows immunomodulating and anti-allergic properties in human cell lines. Thus, the goal of this study was to investigate the main chemical composition, analyzed by GC–FID, and the cyto-genotoxic effects of Mv-EO, using Vero cells, human PBMCs and mice bone marrow cells. The Mv-EO was rich in pulegone 60.5% and menthone 18.2%. Our results clearly show that Mv-EO is not cyto-genotoxic in vitro nor in vivo. It not induced cytotoxic effects, as indicated by trypan blue dye exclusion and NRU assays both in Vero cells and human PBMCs. In addition, Mv-EO (100–1000μg/mL) not induced apoptotic effects on human PBMCs, as indicated by Hoechst staining and DNA fragmentation analysis by agarose gel electrophoresis. The in vivo assay showed that Mv-EO (25–500mg/kg) not increased the frequency of micronucleus in bone marrow cells of mice. Further, the ratio of polychromatic/normochromatic erythrocytes was not modified. These findings suggest that Mv-EO appears to be safe as a therapeutic agent.