Persea americana Mill., commonly known as avocado, is a tree native to Central America that is widely used as a food source and for the treatment of diseases. This plant has various biological properties such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory and total cholesterol-lowering activity. In view of its pharmacological potential, we conducted a toxicogenetic study of the fruit pulp oil of P. americana (PAO) and investigated its influence on genotoxicity induced by methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and doxorubicin. V79 cells and Swiss mice were used for the assays. The results showed no genotoxic effects of PAO in the in vitro or in vivo test systems. However, the highest PAO dose tested led to an increase in the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, indicating hepatic/tissue damage. This effect may be related to high concentrations of palmitic acid, the main component of PAO. Furthermore, PAO was effective in reducing the chromosome damage induced by MMS and doxorubicin. These results contribute to the safety assessment of PAO as a medicinal plant for human use.
Keywords: Antioxidant; Chemoprevention; Cytotoxicity; Genotoxicity; Persea americana.
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