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Journal Article 2010; 31(Suppl 2): 21-25 PubMed PMID: 21187836 Citation  Keywords:  Animals, Apoptosis:drug effects, COS Cells, Cercopithecus aethiops, Cytotoxins:pharmacology, DNA Damage:drug effects, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Flowers, Gentiana, Kidney:cytology, Models, Animal, Mutagens:pharmacology, Plant Extracts:pharmacology,.   

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess whether a methanol extract isolated from the flower of Gentiana asclepiadea had potential cytotoxic or genotoxic effect on COS 1 (monkey kidney) cell line. Five various concentrations of the extract were investigated for cytotoxicity and genotoxicity and to determine non-cytotoxic and non-genotoxic concentrations suitable for utilization in pharmacology and medicine.

METHODS: Cytotoxicity was determined using the proliferation (growth activity) and the plating efficiency (colony forming ability) assays after 24 hour incubation of COS 1 cells with different concentrations of methanolic flower extract from G. asclepiadea. To assess potential genotoxicity, the comet assay or SCGE (Single-Cell Gel Electrophoresis) was used.

RESULTS: We found that only the highest (5 and 25 mg/ml) concentrations of the extract revealed cytotoxic and genotoxic effect. We have also determined concentrations that stimulated cell growth (0.25 mg/ml) and colony forming ability (0.25-2.5 mg/ml) and did not exhibit genotoxic effect (0.25-2.5 mg/ml).

CONCLUSIONS: We found out that extract of G. asclepiadea was neither cytotoxic nor genotoxic in a wide range of concentrations (0.25-2.5 mg/ml) and thus can be used to further investigate potential beneficial usage in pharmacology and medicine....

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Evaluation Studies 2006; 27(Suppl 2): 44-47 PubMed PMID: 17159777 Citation  Keywords:  Caco-2 Cells, Cells, Cultured, Cytotoxins:pharmacology, DNA:drug effects, DNA Damage, Humans, Monoterpenes:pharmacology, Mutagenicity Tests, Plant Oils:pharmacology, Protective Agents:pharmacology, Thymol:pharmacology,.   

OBJECTIVES: To investigate cytotoxic, genotoxic and DNA-protective effects of carvacrol and thymol on human hepatoma HepG2 and colonic Caco-2 cells cultured in vitro.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Cytotoxicity testing was performed by the trypan blue exclusion technique. Level of DNA lesions induced in human cells with carvacrol, thymol or their combinations with hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) were measured by alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). The trypan blue exclusion technique showed that though the metabolically more competent human hepatoma HepG2 cells were more sensitive to the toxic effects of carvacrol or thymol than colonic Caco-2 cells, which contained lower levels of metabolizing enzymes, the observed differences were not very expressive. The comet assay technique showed that at concentrations
CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results it can be concluded that the cytotoxic effects of selected components of essential plant oils on human hepatoma HepG2 and colonic Caco-2 cells were not associated with a DNA-damaging effect. Carvacrol and thymol reduced the level of DNA lesions induced by H(2)O(2). We assume that the observed DNA-protective effects of these plant volatiles can be associated with their antioxidative activity....

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