Composition and Genoprotective Effect of the Flavonoidal Content of Lepidium sativum L. Methanolic Seed Extract against Cyclophosphamide- Induced DNA Damage in Mice

Background: Lepidium sativum L. (Family Brassicaceae) is known to possess different pharmacological properties. Objective: The genoprotective role of flavonoids of L. sativum methanolic seed extract (LSF) against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced DNA damage, in somatic and germ cells of mice, as well as characterization of the flavonoidal content were carried out in this study. Chromosomal aberration analysis in somatic and germ cells were also included. Materials and Methods: Six mice groups were used for this study. Group 1 served as a negative control. Group 2 received oral LSF (100 mg/kg b.wt.) for 5 consecutive days. Group 3 served as a positive control by receiving a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) CP dose (20 mg/kg b.wt.). The three other groups were orally administered 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg b.wt. LSF, respectively, for 5 consecutive days. On the last day of treatment, the three groups received i.p. injection of CP (20 mg/kg b.wt.). Flavonoids were identified using spectral analysis. Results: LSF inhibited DNA aberrations in mice caused by cyclophosphamide dose dependently in the three groups with significant difference in the two groups that received doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg b.wt. The chromosomal aberrations inhibitory indices were calculated as 18 and 31 in mice somatic cells and 27 and 48 in germ cells, respectively. LSF was found to contain the flavonoids kaempferol, quercetin, kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside, kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, and quercetin-3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside. Conclusion: LSF inhibited the DNA damage induced by CP in somatic and germ cells of mice dose-dependently. The antioxidant properties associated with flavonoids might account for the genoprotective activity.