Avaliação das atividades citotóxica e genetóxica do peumus boldus utilizando como modelo experimental o teste allkium cepa

Abstract

Peumus boldus Molina (boldo), commonly known as Chilean boldo, is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine, particularly for its digestive and hepatoprotective properties. Despite its traditional use, toxicological safety assessment is essential to support the rational consumption of herbal preparations. This study aimed to evaluate the potential cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of an aqueous infusion of Peumus boldus using the Allium cepa bioassay as an experimental model. Allium cepa bulbs were initially germinated in distilled water and subsequently exposed to Chilean boldo infusion at concentrations of 2.5 and 5.0 mg/dL, with distilled water used as the negative control and colchicine as the positive control. After the experimental period, the roots were collected, fixed, stained with 2% acetic orcein, and analyzed by optical microscopy. Mitotic index, cell-cycle phases, chromosomal aberrations, and nuclear abnormalities were evaluated. The negative control showed a mean mitotic index of 14.82%, whereas the groups treated with 2.5 and 5.0 mg/dL showed mitotic indices of 11.4% and 12.66%, respectively, exhibiting a biological response similar to that of the negative control. In contrast, the positive control showed marked mitotic arrest. No relevant increase in chromosomal aberrations or nuclear abnormalities was observed in the groups treated with the plant infusion. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant difference among the experimental groups, mainly attributable to the response of the positive control. Under the experimental conditions evaluated, the aqueous infusion of Peumus boldus at concentrations of 2.5 and 5.0 mg/dL showed low cytotoxicity and no significant evidence of genotoxic activity in the Allium cepa model. Further studies using different concentrations and experimental models are recommended to provide a more comprehensive characterization of its toxicological safety.