Genotoxicity and antigenotoxicity of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) in V79 cells.

The use of plants for the treatment of diseases continues to rise although there are few studies providing proof of these effects. One of these plants is the Anacardium occidentale, popularly known as the cashew. The present study evaluated the possible genotoxic and protective activities of cashew stem bark methanolic extract, in vitro, using methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) as a positive control, to compare possible mechanisms of DNA damage induction in the Comet assay. The antigenotoxicity protocols used were pre, simultaneous and post-treatment in relation to MMS. In genotoxicity and antigenotoxicity assessments, besides MMS, PBS was used as the negative control and three concentrations of the A. occidentale extract (500 microg/mL, 1000 microg/mL and 2000 microg/mL) were used on Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts (V79 cells). The Comet assay revealed that the two lowest concentrations tested presented no genotoxic activity, whereas the highest presented genotoxicity. All of the concentrations showed protective activity in simultaneous and post-treatment in relation to MMS. Further studies are required to identify the substances that comprise the extract and more clearly comprehend the antigenotoxic mechanism detected in this study.