EVALUATION OF MUTAGENICITY AND ANTIMUTAGENICITY OF Ilex paraguariensis A. ST.-HIL.: AQUIFOLIACEAE INFUSION ON Allium cepa ASSAY

Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil.: Aquifoliaceae) is the basis for a hot drink very common in southern Brazil and other countries such as Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay: the mate. However, the available data about its effect on DNA are still controversial. In this research, we evaluated the mutagenic and antimutagenic activity of mate with the Allium cepa assay, analyzing the frequency of micronucleus (MN), cromossomal aberrations (CA) and the mitotic index (MI) from treatments with mate only and treatments with mate and the positive control Methyl Methanesulfonate (MMS) being administered previously, simultaneously and subsequently. Mate itself did not show mutagenic potential. However, the protocols which MMS was administered simultaneously and subsequently, it potentiated the mutagenic effect of the drug. There was no significant increase in the previous treatment with MMS, indicating that there wasn’t a positive or negative influence of the mate on the DNA repair system and other mechanisms for reversing damage on meristematic cells of Allium cepa. Therefore, our results suggests that substances present in mate can act potentiating mutagenic and carcinogenic agents present in other compounds or perhaps damaging cells barriers from certain substances that harm the genetic material