Caraluma fimbriata and cassia nomame extracts evaluation: Mutagenicity or anti-mutagenicity?

Caraluma fimbriata and Cassia nomame are native plants in India and Japan, respectively, and are very used in extract form to prevent obesity: loss of appetite and satiety, and also forcing fat reserves to be burned. The Allium cepa test has great correlation with mammalian test, being very efficient to analyze mutagenic and anti-mutagenic effects of substances, exposed in direct contact with its roots, through of mitotic index (MI) the micronuclei frequency (MN) and chromosomal aberrations (CA) analyzes. Few studies was made with these plants, thus, this test was used to evaluate the extracts of C. fimbriata and C. nomame as its mutagenicity and anti- mutagenicity through the Allium cepa test. This study showed that C. nomame extract was anti-mutagenic, with differences in MN and MI frequencies. Already C. fimbriata did not presented to be mutagenic or anti-mutagenic in the test system.