In vitro genotoxic and antigenotoxic effects of elagic acid( EA ) on human peripheral lymphocytes

The aim of this study was to investigate the genotoxic and antigenotoxic effects of Ellagic Acid (EA) (a natural phenolic compound found in plants) on human peripheral lymphocytes using sister chromatid exchange (SCE), chromosomal aberration (CA), micronucleus (MN) and single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) tests. Cells were treated with 60, 80 and 100 µg/ml EA for 24 and 48 hrs for chromosome aberration, micronucleus and sister chromatid exchange tests, and 1 hr for the comet assay. Furthermore, EA and EMS , H2O2 (a known clastogen and mutagen) were co-administered into the cell culture to investigate the antigenotoxic potential of EA. In this study, EA did not induce a statistically significant increase in the SCEs, the aberrations per cell (CA/Cell) and the percentage of abnormal cells (AC%) either in 24- or 48-hr treatment periods and at all concentrations when compared to controls (negative and solvent control). According to the results obtained from the COMET assay, EA did not induce DNA damage. Therefore, EA did not significantly increase the lenght of the DNA tail caused by the DNA breaks migrating from the nucleus, the density of the DNA in the tail and the tail moment. EA, when compared to control and solvent control, did not significantly affect PI, MI and NDI values at any concentration or treatment periods. EA, when applied to human lymphocyte cell culture alone, did not show genotoxic or cytotoxic effects.With the co-administration of EA and EMS (EA+EMS), EA significantly decreased the frequency of SCEs, the aberrations per cell (CA/Cell), the percentage of abnormal cells (AC%) and MN formation at all concentrations and all treatment periods. In the combination (EA+EMS), EA induced a concentration-dependent increase in the MI, but that increase was statistically significant only at the highest concentration for 24- and 48-hr treatment periods (100 µg/ml) when compared to positive control. EA increased the EMS-reduced PI when compared to positive control at 24 and 48-hr treatment times and at all concentrations. EA statistically significantly increased the EMS-reduced nucleus division index (NDI) at all concentrations and all treatment periods when compared to positive control. In EA+H2O2 application, EAdecreased the hydrogen peroxide-increased tail length, DNA intensity in tail and tail moment compared to the positive control, but this decrease was statistically significant only at the highest two concentrations (80 and 100 μg/ml) for tail lenght and tail moment, and at the highest concentrations (100 µg/ml) for the DNA intensity in tail.