Genotoxic activity of ethanol extracts plants of the genus Ocotea

Abstract

Ocotea are commonly used by population as a medicine, however there are few research is on the genotoxic activity of extracts and compounds obtained from plants of this genus. The present study examined the genotoxic potential (mutagenic and recombinogenic) of ethanol extracts obtained from the leaves of Ocotea acutifolia, Ocotea lancifolia and Ocotea minarum from in Mato Grosso do Sul state. Genotoxic activity of the plants was investigated by the Somatic mutation and Recombination Test (SMART) in wing cells of Drosophila melanogaster. Extracts of O. lancifolia and O. minarum showed no genotoxic activity, at the concentrations used. Otherside, the extract of O. acutifolia showed higher genotoxic potential and induced high frequencies of mitotic recombination. This difference in activity seems to be related to the presence of different classes of secondary metabolites and their concentrations in each extract. The pronounced genotoxic potential presented by O. acutifolia showed that, despite the frequent use of plants of the genus Ocotea pharmacological studies of these and other plant species are essential in order to characterize the possible adverse effects.