EVALUATION OF THE GENOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF THE SESQUITERPENE LACTONE GOYAZENSOLIDE IN MAMMALIAN SYSTEMS IN-VITRO AMD IN-VIVO

The sesquiterpene lactone goyazensolide)ras schistosomicidal and cytotoxic activities. This chemical substance was tested to determine clastogenic effects on mammalian systems in vitro (human peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures) and in vivo (Wistar rat bone marrow cells). The concentrations tested in vitro were 0.1, 0.3, 0.6 and 1.0 mu g/ml culture medium, and in vivo were 0.4, 0.8, 1.6 and 3.2 mg/100 g body weight. All in vitro treatments with goyazensolide and only die 0.8 mg in vivo treatment had significantly more chromosome gaps than the controls. However, only in vitro analysis of the number of cells with chromosome breaks demonstrated that treatment with 0.6 pg goyazensolide/ml culture medium has a clastogenic action. Goyazensolide was found to have no effect on SCE induction in vitro. The toxic dose was determined both in vitro (1.0 mu g/ml) and in vivo (3.2 mg/100 g).