Effects of Glycoalkaloids from Solanum lycocarpum on Genomic Instability

Solamargine and solasonine are the main glycoalkaloid metabolites found in fruits of Solanum lycocarpum A. St.-Hil., Solanaceae, a native plant of the Brazilian tropical savanna (Cerrado). In an attempt to develop effective agents derived from medicinal plants for the management of cancer, the present study was designed to evaluate the effects of solamargine and solasonine on cell proliferation and genomic instability. The colony forming assay using V79 cells demonstrated cytotoxicity of solamargine and solasonine concentrations higher than 14.2 μg/ml and 28.8 μg/ml, respectively. The glycoalkaloids did not show genotoxic activity at the evaluated concentrations in the comet, chromosomal aberration, or micronucleus assay. The different concentrations of solamargine (1.78, 3.55, and 7.1 μg/ml) and solasonine (3.6, 7.2, and 14.4 μg/ml) reduced DNA damage and the frequency of chromosomal aberrations induced by the alkylating agent methyl methanesulfonate. The glycoalkaloids were unable to modulate the genotoxicity induced by camptothecin and etoposide, topoisomerase I and II inhibitors, respectively. Further mechanistic studies are necessary to confirm the significance of solamargine and solasonine for health and diseases caused by DNA damage. Graphical Abstract