Acta Medica Iranica (Oct 2009)
Antimutagenicity and Anticancer Effects of Citrus Medica Fruit Juice
Abstract
Currently cancer is considered as one of the main factors of mortality globally. Many chemicals in our environment can cause genetic mutations and are potentially responsible for millions of cancer-related deaths. Nowadays the scientists are looking for food materials which can potenthially prevent the cancer occurrence. The purpose of this research is to examine antimutagenicity and anticancer effect of Citrus Medica fruit juice.In present study human astrocytoma cancercells were cultured in DMEM (Gibco),supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum,peniciline-streptomycin,L-glutamineand incubated at 37 ºC for 2 days.In addition cancer cell line were treated by half-ripe and ripe Citrus Medica fruit juice and cellular vital capacity was determined by MTT. The Citrus Medica fruit juice was subsequenthy evaluated in terms of antimutagenicity and anticancer properties by a standard reverse mutation assay (Ames Test). This was performed with histidine auxotroph strain of Salmonella typhimurium (TA100) .Thus, it requires histidine from a foreign supply to ensure its growth.The aforementioned strain gives rise to reverted colonies when expose to carcinogen substance (Sodium Azide). During MTT, human astrocytoma cell line revealed to have a meaningful cell death when compared with controls (P<0.01). In Ames Testthe fruit juice prevented the reverted mutations and the hindrance percent of half-ripeCitrus Medica was 71.7% and ripe Citrus Medica was 34.4% in antimutagenicity test and this value in anticancer test was 83.3% and 50% in half-ripe Citrus Medica and ripe Citrus Medica respectively.This is the first study that have revealed antimutagenicity and anticancer effect of Citrus Medica fruit juice and the effects were higher in half-ripeCitrus Medica in comparison to the riprned one.