EVALUATION OF CYTOGENETIC AND GENOTOXIC POTENTIAL OF CRUDE AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF PLANTAGO LANCEOLATA.

Plants have been considered as materials for alternative medicine and sources of pharmaceutical drugs. Despite the therapeutic advantages of medicinal plants, some of their constituents may be potentially toxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic, or teratogenic potentials. Therefore, the aim of our study is to determine the cytogenetic and genotoxic potentials of aqueous extract of Plantago lanceolata regarding quality, safety and efficiency. The cytogenetic effects were studied by the calculation of the mitotic index, by the study of the interphase and chromosomal aberrations on the mitotic cells in Allium test. We used aqueous extract of Plantago lanceolata solutions with different concentrations: 100%, 75% and 50%. The Allium cepa bulbs were preliminary imbued in water, and then they were treated for 6 and respectively 24 hours in these solutions. The control group was treated with water. Ten bulbs were used for each concentration, treatment period, and control group. In the end of the experiment the harvested root tips were prepared according to Feulgen’s squash technique using Schiff reagent. The cytotoxic effects were investigated by calculating the mitotic index and through the analysis of chromosomes alterations during the mitosis. We prepared five cytological slides, for each slide we have studied 10 microscopic fields with good density of cells for the mitotic index and another 10 different microscopic fields for abnormal interphases and chromosomal aberrations. Compared to the control mitotic index value, the highest value of the mitotic index is 69.8 and was recorded for the experimental variant treated for a 6-hour period at which the Plantago lanceolata extract is at a concentration of 50%, which it means that it had the strongest stimulating effect of the cell division. By analysing comparatively, the weakest effect of cell division stimulation in the case of studied extracts during the 6- hour treatment was for the 100% concentration and the weakest cytotoxic effect was for the 50% concentration. The strongest effect of cell division stimulation for Plantago lanceolata extract during 24-hour treatment was the 100% experimental variant and the weakest effect of cell division stimulation was the 75% experimental variant. In the microscopic fields have been observed very rarely cells with strong chromatin concentrations, unequal cytokinesis, sometimes with longitudinal divisional planes, pyknotic and sticky chromosomes, delayed chromosomes, vacuolization, which are weak effects cytotoxic and mutagens, positive for the possibility of using tested extract in therapeutic applications. In conclusion, regardless of the concentration used, a treatment with a concentration of 50% extract can be recommended for a maximum effect of the treatment, which gives positive results for both short-term and long-term treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]