Abstract

MODULATING EFFECTS OF CURCUMA LONGA (TURMERIC) AND PIPER NIGRUM (BLACK PEPPER) EXTRACTS AGAINST ADRIAMYCIN INDUCED GENOTOXICITY IN SWISS ALBINO MICE

J. Karuna Kumari* and K. Rudrama Devi

Abstract

In the present research, studies were carried out to examine themodulating effects of crude Cucuma longa rhizome extract (CRE) andPiper nigrum fruit extract (PFE) against Adriamycin (ADR) inducedgenotoxicity in germ cells of mice using Sperm Morphology Assayconducting two experiments. Three different doses of Cucuma longarhizome extract and Piper nigrum fruit extract (CRE+PFE) 150+200,250+300 & 350+400mg/kg body weight along with16mg/kg BwtAdriamycin were taken for study based on therapeutic concentration.In first experiment the antigenotoxic effects of CRE+PFE were studiedand in the second test one group of animals were treated withAdriamycin alone and animals were primed with CRE+PFE extractsprior to adriamycin treatment. Control animals were fed only with physiological saline. Allthe exposed and control animals were sacrificed on last day of fifth week and caudaepididymis was dissected out, smear was made and stained with Eosin, slides were preparedand screened for the presence sperm abnormalities. The results were found to beinsignificant, where CRE+PFE proved to be antigenotoxic in treated animals. A significantincrease in the percentage of abnormal sperms were noted when treated with Adriamycinalone and the cells showed inhibition in the percentage of abnormal sperms when animalswere primed with CRE+PFE prior to adriamycin treatment. The present study reveals that theCRE+PFE to be antimutagenic and shows modulating effects against the adriamycin inducedgenotoxicity in germ cells of mice. Hence Curcuma longa + Piper nigrum supplementation issafer in chemotherapeutic strategy.

Keywords: Curcuma longa,Piper nigrum, genotoxicity, Adriamycin, Swiss albino mice