The methanol extracts from the underground and aerial part of the two species
of Gentiana genus, Gentiana asclepiadea L. and Gentiana cruciata L. from
Serbia, were investigated for their antigenotoxic activity against
wellestablished mutagenic agent ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) using the in
vivo sexlinked recessive lethal (SLRL) test on Drosophila melanogaster. For
this purpose, three days old Canton S males were treated with the potent
mutagen EMS in concentration of 0.75 ppm, alone and combined with methanol
extracts obtained from underground or aerial part of G. asclepiadea and G.
cruciata in concentration of 5%, separately. Although EMS in concentration of
0.75 ppm increased the mutation frequency in all three broods,
post-treatments with methanol extracts obtained from the underground and
aerial part of G. asclepiadea and G. cruciata in concentration of 5%,
respectively, drastically reduced the frequency of sex-linked recessive
lethal mutations induced by EMS. Compared to the sucrose, as a negative
control, methanol extract obtained from underground part of G. cruciata
showed the most potent antigenotoxic activity. Extracts from the underground
and aerial part of the two species of Gentiana genus, G. asclepiadea L. and
G. cruciata L. from Serbia used in our experiments showed a clear
antimutagenic effect, reducing the frequency of mutations induced by a strong
mutagen such as EMS.
In Vivo Mutagenicity of Ethyl Methanesulfonate Detected by Pig-a and PIGRET Assays
