Genotoxic and antigenotoxic properties of Baccharis trimera in mice

Ethnopharmacological relevanceBaccharis trimera (Less.) (Asteraceae) is a native plant from Brazil. Also known as “carqueja”, it is popularly used to treat liver diseases, diabetes, as well as digestive disorders, mainly by women with lower socioeconomic status.Aim of the studyThe aim of the present study was to investigate the in vivo genotoxic/antigenotoxic and mutagenic potential of this plant, using the comet and the micronucleus assays.Material and methodsFemale adult mice were treated with 500, 1000 or 2000 mg/kg of B. trimera aqueous extract (Bt-AE) by gavage for three consecutive days.ResultsIndependently of the dose, no genotoxic effect was observed in blood and liver samples analyzed by the comet assay. Conversely, B. trimera showed an antigenotoxic effect in blood from treated mice, thus protecting cells against oxidative DNA damage induced by the ex vivo treatment with hydrogen peroxide. In addition, Bt-AE showed in vitro antioxidant activity, assessed by DPPH and xanthine oxidase assays, suggesting that the observed antigenotoxic effects might be related to its antioxidant properties.ConclusionsHowever, the extract increased the frequency of micronucleus in bone marrow of treated mice, indicating a chromosomal mutagenic activity. Thus, medicines prepared from this plant should be used with caution, although the results also suggest antigenotoxic effects for B. trimera aqueous extract.