DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION WITH LEAF EXTRACT OF BETA-VULGARIS L VAR BENGHALENSIS HORT IN MODIFYING CYTOTOXICITY OF LEAD SUBACETATE IN MOUSE IN-VIVO

A crude extract of leaves of Indian spinach (Beta vulgaris L, var, ben ghalensis Hort,) was observed to modify significantly the cytotoxic ef fects of a known carcinogen, lead subacetate in mice in vivo, Laborato ry bred male Swiss albino mice were fed by gavaging the crude extract for 7 days daily (1.5 g fresh weight of leaf per kg b.w. of animal), O n day 7, mice were injected intraperitoneally with three concentration s of the carcinogen (20, 30, 50 mg/kg b.w.). Chromosomes were studied from bone marrow cells, 24 h after exposure, following colchicine-fixa tive-air drying-Giemsa schedule, The endopints screened were chromosom al aberrations (CA) and damaged cells (DC). Lead subacetate, given alo ne, induced both CA and DC in frequencies directly related to the conc entration, The leaf extract given alone, did not induce any aberration s, Prior priming with the extract as a dietary supplement reduced sign ificantly the cytotoxic effects of the two lower concentrations of the carcinogen. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.