CYTOGENETIC ACTIVITY AND ANTIOXIDANT ROLE OF FLAXSEEDS (LINUM USITATISSIMUM L.) EXTRACT IN MALE ALBINO RATS TREATED WITH CYPROTERONE ACETATE

Abstract

Objectives Investigation the cytogenetic activity and antioxidant role of methanolic extract of flaxseeds in male albino rats treated with cyproterone acetate.
Methods The first part contains a phytochemical analysis of flaxseeds 20% methanolic extract include: Thin layer chromatography (TLC), determination of active compounds, and antioxidant activity of flaxseeds extract. The second part was experimental groups include 35 rats divided randomly into 7 groups: first and second groups treated with distilled water (D.W) and corn oil respectively as control groups, cyproterone acetate (CPA) (10 mg/kg/day) group, flaxseeds extract (250 and 500 mg/kg/day) respectively, and groups treated both CPA with flaxseeds extract with the same doses above respectively. After 50 days, the cytogenetic study including mitotic index (MI) and chromosomal aberrations (CA) of bone marrow cells in addition to the levels of DNA fragmentation in both white blood cells (WBC) and testes tissues was assessed.
Results Presence of some phytochemical and antioxidant compounds in 20% methanolic extract of flaxseeds. CPA group had a significant increase (P≤0.05) in MI and CA compared to both D.W and corn oil control groups and has a high level of DNA fragmentation in both WBC and testes tissue. In contrast, flaxseeds extract alone or with CPA did not induce a significant difference in MI and CA but it considered as significant decreasing (P≤0.05) when compared with CPA group. Furthermore, both groups treated with flaxseeds 250 and 500 mg/kg/day alone did not record any fragmentation of DNA of WBC but caused fragmentation of DNA of testes tissue. While a decreased level of DNA fragmentation of WBC and testes tissue was noted in CPA with flaxseeds treated groups when compared with the CPA group.
Conclusions The methanolic extract of flaxseeds had a cytogenetic activity to suppresses mitogenic and genotoxic effects of CPA via its antioxidant properties.