Antigenotoxic and anticytotoxic activity of Duguetia furfuracea in bacteria and mice.

Duguetia furfuracea (St. Hil.) Benth & Hook f. (1862), popularly known as "sofre-do-rim-quem-quer" and "araticum-seco", is a shrub of the Annonaceae family that grows in several regions of Brazil. Infusions of its leaves and twigs are used in folk medicine to treat rheumatism and renal colic, whereas the seed powder is mixed with water to treat pediculosis. Studies on the plant have reported biological activities with cytotoxic, antitumoral, trypanocidal, leishmanicidal, antiplasmodial, and antiprotozoal effects. Our previous studies using a prophage λ induction test (SOS-Inductest) and the micronucleus assay demonstrated that D. furfuracea lyophilized leaf extract (DFE) displayed cytotoxic but not genotoxic activity. In the present study, antigenotoxic and anticytotoxic activities of DFE were evaluated using SOS-Inductest and mouse bone marrow micronucleus tests. Our results showed that DFE decreased the induction of either prophage λ (P < 0.05; SOS-Inductest) or micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (P < 0.05; micronucleus test) at all doses, suggesting antigenotoxic activity in both tests. On assessing the anticytotoxic activity of DFE, a significant increase in the number of bacteria at lower doses (P < 0.05) as well as a significant increase in the polychromatic and normochromatic erythrocyte ratio were observed (P < 0.05), demonstrating the anticytotoxic activity of DFE. Thus, D. furfuracea displayed antigenotoxic and anticytotoxic activity in both assays.