Arsenic Induced Free Radicals Mediated Genotoxicity and Protective Features of Ocimum Gratissium L.

Abstract Arsenic toxicity is a worldwide geogenic problem for large number of populations. The major problem of arsenicosis is generation of free radicals and related genotoxicity, In the present study three plants species Ocimum gratissimum L., Ocimum sanctum, Ocimum basilicum, were examined by both in vivo and in vitro methods in Oryctolagus cuniculus L to know the free radical scavenging property in Sodium Arsenite induced oxidative stress and related genotoxicity. Oxidative stress was evaluated considering MDA, GSH, SOD, CAT & GPx, and genotoxicity was examined by comet assay and RAPD test. In the present study, Na3AsO3 was found to generate free radicals in lymphocytes of O. cuniculus and best recovery was reported (MDA-4.78 ± 0.05; GSH-2.87 ± 0.50;SOD-1.78 ± 0.03;CAT-2.72 ± 0.02;GPx-7.43 ± 0.01) under exposure of ethanolic leaf extract of O. gratissimum. Na3AsO3 was also found to cause polymorphic bands and increased comet tail in lymphocytes which was found significantly recovered by exposure of ethanolic leaf extract of O. gratissimum.