Protective effect of Alstonia scholaris Linn. R. Br. against Bleomycin induced chromosomal damage in cultured human lymphocytes,in vitro

It is both interesting and necessary to identify and develop nontoxic radioprotective compounds. Bleomycin (BLM), a known radiomimetic drug was used as a clastogen in the present study. The possible protective effects against BLM (15?μg/ml) induced clastogenicity by aqueous and methanolic extracts from Alstonia scholaris bark, stem and leaves were compared. The treatment of bark extracts significantly (p?2 assay was performed. Lymphocyte cultures from 12 healthy volunteers were exposed to aqueous (50?μg/ml) and methanolic (50?μg/ml) extracts of A. scholaris bark alone as well as in combination with Bleomycin under two different growth phases, G₀ and G₂. There was a statistically significant reduction (p?2 phase as compared to respective cultures exposed at G₀ phase. The highest level (p?2 phase than those at G₀ phase. This indicated that there could be certain compound(s) present in aqueous bark extracts which enhance DNA repair capacity. Therefore, the bark of A. scholaris could be further utilized to identify and bring out front line radio protective agents in the market with effective formulations.