Genotoxic properties of Betonica officinalis, Gratiola officinalis, Vincetoxicum luteum and Vincetoxicum hirundinaria extracts.

Genotoxicity of B. officinalis, G. officinalis, V. luteum and V. hirundinaria extracts, which demonstrated strong antioxidant capacity, was tested using chromosome aberration, sister chromatid exchange (SCE), cytokinesis-block micronucleus and alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assays in human lymphocytes in vitro and Ames Salmonella/microsome test. All tested extracts were not mutagenic in S. typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 with and without metabolic activation and did not induce chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes in vitro. Extract from G. officinalis was the only one, which induced significant increase in micronuclei, indicating possible aneugenic effect. All investigated plant extracts induced DNA damage evaluated by the comet assay, while B. officinalis and V. luteum extracts induced slight increase in SCE values. The determined variation in response might be due to the plant extract tested and donor susceptibility.