Cytotoxic, acute oral toxicity, genotoxic and mutagenic assessment of the essential oil from fresh leaves of Croton argyrophyllus (Kunth.)

Marcela Albuquerque de Oliveira; Marília Gabriela Muniz Arruda; Nabuêr Francieli da Silva; Rômulo Carlos Dantas da Cruz; Suelen Cristina Lourenço de Barros; Marcilene Souza da Silva; Talita Giselly Dos Santos Souza; Erwelly Barros de Oliveira; Cristiano Aparecido Chagas; Jaciana Dos Santos Aguiar; Alisson Macário de Oliveira; Roberta Jeane Bezerra Jorge; Ivone Antonia de Souza

doi:10.1016/j.jep.2024.118206

Cytotoxic, acute oral toxicity, genotoxic and mutagenic assessment of the essential oil from fresh leaves of Croton argyrophyllus (Kunth.)

J Ethnopharmacol. 2024 Apr 16:330:118206. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118206. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Marcela Albuquerque de Oliveira¹, Marília Gabriela Muniz Arruda², Nabuêr Francieli da Silva², Rômulo Carlos Dantas da Cruz³, Suelen Cristina Lourenço de Barros¹, Marcilene Souza da Silva¹, Talita Giselly Dos Santos Souza⁴, Erwelly Barros de Oliveira³, Cristiano Aparecido Chagas⁴, Jaciana Dos Santos Aguiar³, Alisson Macário de Oliveira⁵, Roberta Jeane Bezerra Jorge⁶, Ivone Antonia de Souza³

Affiliations

¹ Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
² Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
³ Departamento de Antibióticos, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
⁴ Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil.
⁵ Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address: alisson.macario@ufpe.br.
⁶ Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.

PMID: 38636572
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118206

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Croton argyrophyllus Kunth., commonly known as "marmeleiro" or "cassetinga," is widely distributed in the Brazilian Northeast region. Its leaves and flowers are used in traditional medicine as tranquilizers to treat flu and headaches.

Aim of the study: This study was conducted to determine the chemical composition and toxicological safety of essential oil from C. argyrophyllus leaves using in vitro and in vivo models.

Materials and methods: The chemical composition of the essential oil was determined using a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer. Cytotoxicity was tested in the HeLa, HT-29, and MCF-7 cell lines derived from human cells (Homo sapiens) and Vero cell lines derived from monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) using the MTT method. Acute toxicity, genotoxicity. Mutagenicity tests were performed in Swiss mice (Mus musculus), which were administered essential oil orally in a single dose of 2000 mg/kg by gavage.

Results: The main components of the essential oil were p-mentha-2-en-1-ol, α-terpineol, β-caryophyllene, and β-elemene. The essential oil exhibited more than 90% cytotoxicity in all cell lines tested. No deaths or behavioral, hematological, or biochemical changes were observed in mice, revealing no acute toxicity. In genotoxic and mutagenic analyses, there was no increase in micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes or in the damage and index in the comet assay.

Conclusions: The essential oil was cytotoxic towards the tested cell lines but did not exert toxic effects or promote DNA damage when administered orally at a single dose of 2000 mg/kg in mice.

Keywords: Cassetinga; Cytotoxicity; Essential oil; Genotoxicity; Toxicological safe.