PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION AND EVALUATION OF ANTIMUTAGENIC ACTIVITY OF THE EXTRACT OF CUSCUTA REFLEXA ROXB BY AMES TEST

In this study, the methanol extract of Cuscuta reflexa Roxb.belonging to the family Convolvulaceae was prepared by successive extraction procedure (petroleum ether and methanol) in soxhlet apparatus. The plant was used traditionally in India, Bangladesh, China, Thailand and other Asian countries for treating various ailments.  It is known to exhibit antiepileptic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant properties. In the present study our aim was to find out its phytoconstituents in the methanol extract of C. reflexa and also to find out its mutagenic and antimutagenic potential by Ames test against known positive mutagens 2-aminofluorine (2-AF), 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine (NPD) and sodium azide using Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100 bacterial strains both in the presence and absence of metabolic activator S9. The phytochemical investigation ofmethanol extract of C. reflexa Roxb. yielded three flavonoids Isorhamnetin, Isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside and Isorhamnetin-3-O-robinobioside. The structures of the isolated flavonoids were established by detailed spectral analysis including 2D NMR spectral study. The extract exhibited significant antimutagenic activity againstNPD and sodium azide for S. typhimurium TA98 & TA100strains both in the presence and absence of S9. These results indicated that the extract could counteract the mutagenicity induced by different genotoxic compounds.