ATLA::Alternatives to Laboratory Animals

Volume 30, Number 1

Use of the SOS-chromotest spot assay as a screening system for detecting genotoxic compounds in crude plant extracts.

Daniel Arrieta Baez,1 Gerardo Zepeda Vallejo,2 Patricia Cano SÁNchez,3 Matilde BreÑA Valle,3 Ricardo Reyes Chilpa1 And Manuel JimÉNez Estrada1

1Instituto de Química, UNAM, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, CP 04510, Mexico DF, Mexico; 2Departamento de Química Org´nica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas-IPN, Prolongación Carpio y Plan de ayala, CP 11340, Mexico DF, Mexico; 3Departamento de Biologi&aaucte;, Instituto Nacional Cie Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera Federal México-Toluca Km 38, Mexico

SUMMARY

An SOS-chromotest spot assay was used to detect genotoxic compounds in crude plant extracts. The method allows simultaneous testing of extracts from different species in either a liquid or a solid crystalline form. Extracts from two species of the genus Senna, native to the state of Morelos, Mexico, were assayed. Four genotoxic compounds were isolated, and were identified as quercetin and rutin from S. wislizeni, and 5,7-di-0-methylrutin and 5,7-di-0-methylquercetin from S. skinneri. The SOS-chromotest spot assay proved to be useful for activity-guided fractionation at the beginning of screening for genotoxic compounds in crude plant extracts.

Keywords: SOS-chromotest, genotoxic compounds, Senna, flavonoids, antitumoral compounds