Effect of Terminalia arjuna extract on adriamycin-induced DNA damage.

The effect of a bark extract of Terminalia arjuna (TAE) was studied on the alteration of adriamycin (ADR)-induced micronuclei formation in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Exposure of lymphocytes to ADR resulted in a dose-dependent increase in the micronuclei formation indicating DNA damage. Pretreatment of lymphocytes with TAE before ADR treatment resulted in a significant decline in micronuclei formation. Increasing doses of ADR caused a dose-dependent increase in the frequency of lymphocytes bearing one, two and multiple micronuclei. Prior exposure of lymphocytes to 15 mu g/mL of TAE significantly reduced the frequency of lymphocytes bearing one, two and multiple micronuclei when compared with ADR-treated control. TAE-inhibited the induction of (OH)-O-center dot (hydroxyl), O-2(center dot-) (superoxide), DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazy]), ABTS(center dot+) (2,2-azino-bis-3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radicals in a dose-dependent manner. These results demonstrate that TAE protects DNA against ADR-induced damage. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.