Genotoxicity induced by saponified coconut oil surfactant in prokaryote systems

• Published in: Mutagenesis 2004-11, Vol.19 (6), p.441-444
• Main Authors: Petta, Tirzah Braz, de Medeiros, Sílvia Regina Batistuzzo, do Egito, Eryvaldo Sócrates Tabosa, Agnez-Lima, Lucymara Fassarella
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphatases - genetics; Antioxidants - toxicity; Biological and medical sciences; Coconut Oil; Cocos; Cocos nucifera; DNA Glycosylases - genetics; DNA Glycosylases - physiology; DNA Repair; DNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases - genetics; DNA-Formamidopyrimidine Glycosylase - genetics; DNA-Formamidopyrimidine Glycosylase - physiology; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli Proteins - genetics; Escherichia coli Proteins - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Micelles; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Mutagenesis. Repair; Mutagenicity Tests; Mutagens - toxicity; Mutation - genetics; Oxidation-Reduction; Plant Oils - toxicity; Plasmids - drug effects; SOS Response (Genetics) - drug effects; Surface-Active Agents - toxicity
• ISSN: 0267-8357; 1464-3804; 1464-3804
• DOI: 10.1093/mutage/geh054

Surfactants are amphiphilic substances with special properties and chemical structures that allow a reduction in interfacial tension, which permits an increase in molecule solubilization. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) is an important characteristic of surfactants that determines their aggregate state, which is generally related to its functional mechanism. In this work the genotoxic potential of saponified coconut oil (SCO), a surfactant obtained from Cocos nucifera, was analyzed using prokaryote systems. DNA strand breaks were not observed after treatment of a plasmid with SCO. Negative results were also obtained in the SOS Chromotest using Escherichia coli strains PQ35 and PQ37. A moderate toxicity of SCO was observed after treatment of strain CC104 with a concentration above its CMC, in which micelles were found. Nevertheless, this treatment was not cytotoxic to a CC104mutMmutY strain. Furthermore, in this DNA repair-deficient strain treatment with a SCO dose below its CMC, in which only monomers were found, demonstrated the possibility of an antioxidant effect, since a reduction in spontaneous mutagenesis frequency was observed. Finally, in an Ames test without metabolic activation mutagenicity induction was observed in strains TA100 and TA104 with treatment doses below the CMC. The cytotoxic, antioxidant and mutagenic effects of SCO can be influenced by the aggregational state.