Toxicogenetic assessment of a pre-workout supplement: In vitro mutagenicity, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and glutathione determination in liver cell lines and in silico ADMET approaches

The benefits of practicing physical activity, such as weight loss and control, are commonly associated with caloric restriction diets and may be improved by the ingestion of thermogenic and ergogenic supplements. However, there is a lack of safety data on commonly marketed nutritional supplements. Therefore, this investigation aims to evaluate a pre-workout supplement for mutagenicity using the Ames test, hepatocytoxicity in HepG2 and F C3H cells after 24 h, 48 h and 72 h, genotoxicity using the CBMN assay, determination of gluthatione activity and computational prediction of the three major isolated compounds present in the supplement. The mutagenicity test showed a mutagenic response in TA98 His+ revertants of 5 mg/plate in the presence of metabolic activation, cytotoxicity in TA98 of 5 mg/plate in the absence of metabolic conditions, and in TA102 of 0.5 mg/plate both in the presence and absence of metabolic activation. In our in vitro eukaryotic cell viability, WST-1, LDH and alkaline phosphatase assays, the supplement showed hepatocytotoxicity both dose-dependently and time-dependently. In the cytokinesis blocking micronuclei assay, the supplement induced micronuclei, nuclear buds, nucleoplasmatic, bridge formation, and a decreased in nuclear division. In addition, the supplement decreased intra and extracellular GSH. Computational analysis showed that the three isolated compounds most present in the supplement have the potential to cause hepatotoxicity. In the present investigation, the pre-workout supplement induced mutagenic, genotoxic, and cytotoxic responses and GSH decrease. Thus, considering food safety and public health sanitary vigilance, the consumption of this pre-workout supplement may harm the health of its consumers.