Antimutagenic Mechanisms in Medicinal Plants

Medicinal plants have long been recognised as sources of compounds capable of counteracting DNA damage and mutation. Antimutagenic mechanisms in these botanicals broadly encompass free‐radical scavenging, inhibition of mutagen activation, direct interaction with DNA‐damaging agents, metal chelation and upregulation of cellular repair pathways. Phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids and phenolic acids contribute antioxidant capacity, neutralising reactive oxygen species and attenuating oxidative DNA lesions. Other active constituents impede the metabolic conversion of pro-mutagens by modulating cytochrome P450 enzymes or enhance phase II detoxification through induction of conjugative enzymes. In parallel, some compounds bind directly to mutagenic molecules, preventing their intercalation with DNA, while yet others promote DNA repair by stimulating endonucleases and ligases. Collectively, these multifaceted actions underpin the chemopreventive potential of plant extracts and isolated constituents, supporting their development as dietary supplements, adjuvant therapies or leads for novel drug discovery. The global significance of such approaches is reflected in efforts to harness indigenous and widely cultivated species for accessible antimutagenic interventions that may reduce the burden of mutation-related diseases.

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Technical terms

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Highly reactive molecules derived from oxygen that can damage DNA, proteins and lipids.

Micronucleus assay: A cytogenetic test that detects chromosome fragments or whole chromosomes not incorporated into daughter nuclei following cell division.

Ames test: A bacterial reverse-mutation assay used to evaluate the mutagenic potential of chemical compounds by measuring mutation rates in specific Salmonella strains.

Clastogen: An agent that induces structural chromosomal breakages.

Aneugen: A substance that causes numerical chromosome abnormalities by disrupting the mitotic apparatus.

References

1. Antimutagenic compounds and their possible mechanisms of action. Journal of Applied Genetics (2014).
2. Antimutagenicity and Antioxidant Activity of Castanea sativa Mill. Bark Extract. Pharmaceutics (2023).
3. Genotoxic and antigenotoxic medicinal plant extracts and their main phytochemicals: “A review”. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2024).
4. Isolation and characterization of the compounds responsible for the antimutagenic activity of Combretum microphyllum (Combretaceae) leaf extracts. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies (2017).