Evaluation of mutagenicity and nucleolar activity of Cymbopogon citratus, Lippia alba and Melissa officinalis methanolic and ethanolic extracts administration, during different phases of the day, in vivo

• Grant number: 16/25985-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2017
• End date: April 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Mutagenesis
• Principal Investigator: Marilanda Ferreira Bellini
• Grantee: Marilanda Ferreira Bellini
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Rita Luiza Peruquetti

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants increases daily, as a population looks for natural alternatives for the treatment of diseases and improvement in quality of life. Cymbopogon citratus, Lippia alba and Melissa officinalis are species of lemon balm commonly used in folk medicine. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the mutagenic potentials and an interference in the nuclear activity of natural anxiolytic extracts, administered at different phases of the day, in vivo. A total of 120 Swiss mice, aged 70 to 85 days, from the USC, of which 30 are females, nulliparous and not pregnant, will be tested for oral tolerance, will be administered 5 doses at increasing concentrations for selection DL50. After the definition of the dose used, 90 male mice will be submitted to treatments with ethanolic (EE) or methanolic extracts (EM) of C. citratus (CC), L. alba (LA) and M. officinalis (MO). The animals will allocated in two different rooms, one with a conventional photoperiod (lights will turn on as 7am and will turn off as 7pm - FC, light phase) and one with inverted photoperiod (lights will turn on as 7pm and will turn off as 7am - FE, dark phase) , The animals will receive the treatments at 8 am, in both rooms, during 14 consecutive days. Each group consists of 5 animals: Negative Control - CNFC and CNFE (deionized and autoclaved water); Positive Control - CPFC and CPFE (deionized and autoclaved water, inoculated with damage inducing agent 24 hours before euthanasia); Tumor Control - CTFC and CTFE (deionized and autoclaved water, inoculate 1x103 Ehrlich tumor cells on the 7th day of treatment); EECC-FC and EECC-FE (will receive ethanolic extract of C. citratus); EELA-FC and EELA-FE (receiving ethanolic extract from Lippia alba); EEMO-FC and EEMO-FE (receiving ethanolic extract of M. officinalis); EMCC-FC and EMCC-FE (will receive methanolic extract of C. citratus); EMLA-FC and EMLA-FE (they will receive methanolic extract of Lippia alba); EMMO-FC and EMMO-FE (they will receive methanolic extract of M. officinalis). After euthanasia, peripheral blood will be collected for micronucleus, comet, immunofluorescence, AgNOR and Western blot tests; Liver for analysis of hepatocytes viability and bone marrow for micronucleus analysis. (AU)