In vivo toxicogenic potential of Salix alba (Salicaceae) bark extract

ABSTRACT

Salix alba (white willow) bark extract is widely used for conditions associated with inflammation, fever, microbial infection or pain. Exposure of human cultured leukocytes to S. alba in vitro noted a genotoxic response. However, data regarding the influence of this bark extract on DNA damage in vivo are lacking. The main goal of this study was to examine the potential of S.alba bark extract to induce DNA damage and chromosome aberrations in an in vivo model using cells obtained from male Swiss albino mice administered the compound orally. The extract was administered by oral gavage daily for 7 days at doses of 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg b.w. Genotoxicity analysis was performed using the comet assay on peripheral blood leukocytes, as well as liver, bone marrow, heart, and testicular cells collected 4 hr after the last treatment and the micronucleus (MN) test on bone marrow cells. In essence cells were collected 28 hr after the penultimate treatment Data demonstrated that S. alba bark extract did not induce significant DNA damage in any cell types examined, or clastogenic/aneugenic effects as detected by the MN test at the three tested doses. Under these experimental conditions, evidence indicates that S.alba bark extract did not initiate genotoxic or chromosome aberrations in various mouse cells investigated.

KEYWORDS:

• Salicaceae genotoxicity
• Salix comet assay
• Salix micronucleus test
• White willow

Credit authorship contribution statement

P.M. Terrazas: Investigation, Methodology. A.C.H.F. Sawaya, P.C.P. Rosa, F.F. Perazzo: extract obtention, chemical characterization and resources involved. I.O.M. Gaivão: Language revision, Writing review. E.L. Maistro: Conceptualization, Supervision, Resources, Funding, Writing original, review and editing.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) (Grant: 2017/24149-4), CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior), and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico).