Effect of bitter melon (Momordica charantia l.) against cisplatin and valproic acid induced genotoxicity in drosophila melanogaster

Cancer is a complex disease that is caused by uncontrolled division and proliferation of cells under the influence of genetic and environmental conditions. Cytotoxic antineoplastic agents are the mainstay in order to kill cancer cells in chemotherapy methods used as a standard in cancer treatment. However, patients taking anticonvulsants may also undergo cancer treatment which requires the use of an antineoplastic agent. It is known that the toxic effect of antineoplastics increases during a long time with using antiepileptics. The active substances of various plants have been used in the treatment of many diseases especially cancer. In the first stage of this study, survival rates were determined in Drosophila melanogaster individuals treated with 0,05 mM cisplatin (CP) and valproic acid (VPA), and 1,25; 2,5 and 5 mg/mL doses of bitter melon (Momordica charantia, MC) seed and fruit extracts. In the second stage, genotoxic/antigenotoxic effects were determined by Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART) on 72±4 hours of transheterozygote larvae exposed to the same doses of antineoplastic, anticonvulsant and MC plant extracts. As a result, it was observed that the rates of somatic mutation and recombination between the groups treated with only chemical agents and experimental groups with plant extracts plus chemical agents were statistically significant (p< 0,05).