A method for comparing and combining short-term genotoxicity test data: The basic system

The purpose of this study was to determine the chemical composition and to evaluate the genotoxic and antigentoxic activites of the Moroccan Artemisia herba-alba ethanolic extract. The ethanolic extract of Artemisia herba-alba was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The mutagenic and antimutagenic activities were evaluated using the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) on Drosophila melanogaster. Methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) was used as the positive control.Twenty-one compounds of the Artemisia herba-alba ethanol extract were identified; the main monoterpenes identified are camphor, α-thujone and β-thujone. Ethanolic extract of Artemisia herba-alba did not show gentotoxicity at doses used in SMART Assays. In the co-treatment, a dose-dependent decrease in mutation frequency was observed for this plant. Ethanolic extract of Artemisia herba-alba at 1.5% demonstrated a marked decrease in MMS with a strong inhibitory effect (80%). The results demonstrate that the Artemisia herba-alba exerted a significant and potent anti-mutagenic activity in wing and eye-spot of D. melanogaster.