Genoprotective potentials of Scoparia dulcis and Vernonia cinerea against the genotoxicity induced by potential genotoxic agents were evaluated in this study. Bacterial reverse mutation assay and in vitro cytochalasin-blocked micronucleus assay was carried out for this evaluation. Ethyl acetate, ethanol, and water extracts of both plants were tested for their direct genotoxicity before selecting doses for antimutagenic or antigenotoxic assessments and found to be safe. Non-toxic concentrations (100 μg/mL) of ethyl acetate extracts of both plants could strongly inhibit the mutations induced by sodium azide in Salmonella typhimurium TA 100. In vitro, micronucleus assay showed that all the tested extracts of S. dulcis could strongly inhibit the genotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide at a concentration of 100 μg/mL whereas in the case of V. cinerea, only ethyl acetate extract showed a strong antigenotoxic effect compared to other extracts. Desmutagenic actions of the extracts could play an important role in the exhibited genoprotective effects. Further studies in other test systems including animal models are required to prove its therapeutic potentials in cancer chemoprevention.
Key words: Antigenotoxicity, Antimutagenicity, Genotoxicity, Scoparia dulcis and Vernonia cinerea
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