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Study on antigenotoxic effects of Moroccan medicinal plants and spices using the <i> white/white</i> + somatic assay in <i> Drosophila</i>


Nadya Mezzoug
Jamal Abrini
Andres Muñoz Serano
Angeles Alonso-Moraga
Mohamed Idaomar

Abstract

The antigenotoxic action of a selection of medicinal plants and spices from Morocco including laurel (Laurus nobilis), rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis), verbena (Verbena triphylla), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) and nutmeg (Myristica fragrens) was assessed using the eye white/white+ (w/w+) Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART) assay of Drosophila melanogaster. Methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) was used as a positive mutagenic compound inducing high frequencies of spots in Drosophila larvae. The frequencies of spots per eyes of a treated series are compared to those of its concurrent positive control series using χ2- test for evaluation of the antigenotoxic effect. The nutmeg at 1% (w/v) demonstrated a marked decrease in MMS-induced spots with an inhibition rate of 50%. Rosemary, fenugreek seeds and laurel showed different inhibition rates with different level of significance.

African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines Vol. 3(3) 2006: 22-31

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eISSN: 0189-6016