In vivo assessment of the cytotoxic, genotoxic and antigenotoxic potential of mana-cubiu (Solanum sessiliflorum Dunal) fruit

Abstract Solanum sessiliflorum Dunal is a native shrub often found in the Amazon Forest. Its fruits, known as mana-cubiu, possess an unusual flavor and are consumed in salads and juices, mainly by the local community of Northern Brazil. Because these fruits are used in traditional medicine as hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic agents, it is important to establish whether the consumption of mana-cubiu is safe using in vivo genotoxicity tests. Here, we investigated the genotoxic and antigenotoxic potential of mana-cubiu for doxorubicin (DXR)-induced DNA damage using the micronucleus test and the comet assay in Wistar rats. Moreover, oxidative stress parameters were determined in the heart and liver of the animals by measuring the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), a biomarker of lipid peroxidation, and reduced glutathione (GSH) content. The relative expression of Ptgs2 mRNA in the livers of the animals was also determined. The tests were performed with mana-cubiu pulp (125, 250, 375 or 500 mg/kg body weight — b.w.) by gavage for 14 days, followed by intraperitoneal injection of saline or DXR (16 mg/kg b.w.) immediately after the last gavage, which occurred 24 h before euthanasia. The results showed that mana-cubiu at all tested doses had no cytotoxic effects on bone marrow cells and was not genotoxic to heart or liver cells. In addition, mana-cubiu treatments decreased DXR-induced DNA damage according to the comet assay in heart and liver cells. Reductions in micronucleus frequency in peripheral blood cells occurred at 125, 250 and 375 mg/kg b.w. doses of mana-cubiu, and the TBARS content induced by DXR was also reduced by mana-cubiu. Furthermore, mana-cubiu did not modulate the transcription of the Ptgs2 gene. In conclusion, mana-cubiu pulp fruit was not cytotoxic or genotoxic in Wistar rats, suggesting its safety for human consumption, at least considering genotoxic effects. The antioxidant capacity of mana-cubiu pulp fruit may contribute to the antigenotoxic effects of this fruit at the doses used in this study.