Effects of Aloe vera L. commercial juice on germination and antimutagenesis in Aspergillus nidulans, and on Wistar rats as evaluated through the comet assay

Abstract

Aloe vera L., popularly known in Brazil as “babosa”, has great pharmacognostic value and is widely used in folk medicine. Numerous properties have been identified in extracts of this plant, such as
antioxidant, antitumor, antidiabetic, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulatory activities. We aimed to evaluate the effect of Aloe vera commercial juice on the development of normal and mutant strains of Aspergillus (= Emericella) nidulans and on antimutagenesis in the methG1 system of this fungus; as well as its genotoxicity on Wistar rats, evaluated through the comet assay. In both germination and antimutagenicity assays, two juice concentrations (4% and 8%, v/v) were tested. Animals were treated for 7 days with juice at concentrations 0.1 mL/100 g c.p. and 0.2 mL/100 g c.p., receiving the chemotherapy etoposide as genotoxic agent in the eighth day of treatment. The highest juice concentration (8%) was the most efficient, stimulating germination in all A. nidulans strains. However, regarding the decrease in number of dead and malformed spores, both concentrations were beneficial, but through random effects. Antimutagenicity was observed only in the 8% extract. In the comet assay, on the other hand, both concentrations were antigenotoxic compared to the etoposide. Thus, our results corroborate the literature reports
of beneficial properties in A. vera.