Does Caesalpinia bonducella ameliorate genotoxicity? An in vitro study in human lymphocyte culture and in vivo study in Albino mice

Most of the world’s populations residing in developing countries depend on alternative medicine and use of plant ingredients. The plant Caesalpinia bonducella belongs to the family of Caesalpiniaceae and it is commonly known as Natakaranja in Hindi. It contains bonducin and two phytosterols namely sitosterol and hepatsane. The twigs and young leaves of C. bonducella are rationally used for curing tumors, inflammation and liver disorders. In our present work alcoholic extracts of this ayurvedic plant were tested for their antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties. The aim of the study is to investigate the antimutagenic and antigenotoxic potential of alcoholic extracts of C. bonducella against methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) induced genotoxicity. In this experiment we have used in vitro method i.e., human lymphocyte culture and in vivo method in bone marrow cells of albino mice, while the parameters studied included chromosomal aberrations (CA), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and cell growth kinetics (RI) both in the presence as well as in the absence of exogenous metabolic activation system for in vitro studies whereas total aberrant cells and the frequencies of aberrations were used for in vivo methods. Alcoholic extracts of C. bonducella significantly reduce chromosomal aberration from 42.75%, 44.25%, and 51.75% levels [at 24, 48, and 72 h due to methyl methane sulfonate (MMS)] to 28.50%, 30.25%, and 35.10%, respectively similarly sister chromatid exchanges were reduced from 7.70 ± 1.50 to 5.20 ± 1.50 at 48 h of treatment and replication index was enhanced in vitro for each concentration and duration of treatment and their ameliorating potential was dose and duration dependent. Similarly these extracts significantly reduced the number of aberrant cells and frequency of aberrations per cell in in vivo.