Allium flavum L. and Allium melanantherum Panč. are wild growing plants used in traditional diet in Balkan region. While chemical composition and some biological activities of A. flavum have been reported, A. melanantherum, as an endemic in the Balkan Peninsula, has never been comprehensively examined. After chemical characterization of A. melanantherum, we examined the protective effect of methanol extracts of both species against t-butyl hydro-peroxide (t-BOOH)-induced DNA damage and mutagenesis. The bacterial reverse mutation assay was performed on Escherichia coli WP2 oxyR strain. DNA damage was monitored in human fetal lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) with alkaline comet assay. Obtained results indicated that extracts reduced t-BOOH-induced DNA damage up to 70 and 72% for A. flavum and A. melanantherum extract, respectively, and showed no effect on t-BOOH-induced mutagenesis. Since the results indicated modulatory effect on cell-mediated antioxidative defense, the effect of extracts on total protein content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) amounts and activities were monitored. Both extracts increased total protein content, while the increase of enzyme amount and activity was obtained only with A. melanantherum extract and restricted to CAT. The activity of CuZnSOD family was not affected, while SOD1 and SOD2 amounts were significantly decreased, indicating potential involvement of extracellular CuZnSOD. Obtained results strongly support the traditional use of A. flavum and A. melanantherum in nutrition and recommend them for further study.
Keywords: Allium flavum; Allium melanantherum; Antigenotoxicity; Antioxidative enzymes; Oxidative DNA damage.