The Genoprotective Effect Of Crocus Sativus L. (Saffron) Extract On Doxorubicin-Induced Genotoxicity In Drosophila Melanogaster

Abstract

Crocus sativus L. (saffron) is a medicinal plant that has been used for the prevention and treatment of various diseases since ancient times. Saffron also has a distinctive aroma and is used as a food coloring, in addition to its therapeutic effects. In this study the genotoxic and antigenotoxic impacts of saffron were evaluated using the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART). Doxorubicin, a chemotherapeutic drug, was used as a genotoxic agent to evaluate the antigenotoxic activity of saffron. Transheterozygous larvae obtained from a standard cross between flare WO and multiple wing hair (mwh) mutant strains of Drosophila melanogaster were treated with the test materials. Saffron extract was applied at three different concentrations (1,5 and 10 mg/mL) to evaluate any genotoxic effect. In the antigenotoxic assessment, each dose of the saffron extract was co-administered with doxorubicin (0.125 mg/mL). The data obtained from our study indicated that the ethanol extract of saffron did not show any genotoxic effect but instead exerted a powerful protective effect against the genotoxic effect of doxorubicin that was dose dependent.