DNA-RAPD fingerprinting and cytogenetic screening of genotoxic and antigenotoxic effects of aqueous extracts of costus speciosus (Koen.)‎

Abstract EN

The present study was conducted to investigate the nontoxic and / or antigen toxic effect of aqueous extract of the traditional plant Cestus specious (Koen.) that is used frequently for the treatment of various disorders in Saudi Arabia.

Root tip meristems of Allium cape were treated with elevated concentrations of Cestus specious (Koen.), Samples were taken at 48h.

Of each concentration (2, 5, 10, 20 μg /mL) and subjected to cytogenetic and molecular genetics assays (DNA-RAPD fingerprinting).

It was found that the extract has no lactogenic or mutagenic activities, mitotic index decreased mildly compared with the control.

Frequency of chromosomal aberrations showed no significance in all concentrations at time of exposure.

Most aberrations of the dividing cells were disturbance of chromosomes.

The RAPD results demonstrated monomorphic numbers of genetic bands mostly, which were the electrophoretic products of PCR for all treatments compared with the control.

Also the results exhibited the ability of C.

specious as antigen toxic and ant cytotoxic potential against EMS induced DNA damage, cytotoxic and lactogenic effects in Allium cape cells.

The presented data showed that C.

specious extract could not induce significantly nontoxic effect on Allium cape cells.

Furthermore, this study implies that combined treatment of C.

specious has a strong inhibitory role against the nontoxic action of EMS.

These results strongly suggest that the extract of Cestus specious is not nontoxic, or cytotoxic but might be anti-nontoxic agent.