RESUMO
Genetic damage during the prenatal period can provoke important neoplastic alterations and other diseases in postnatal life. Beta-carotene (ßC) is considered to be one of the most important anticarcinogens in the diet and can protect mammalian cells against genotoxic events. As carrots are important dietary source of ßC, we decided to test the effect of fresh carrot juice (CaJ) on cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced genotoxicity in maternal and fetal erythropoietic tissues. The treatment with CaJ started on the 7th day of the pregnancy of BALB/c female mice. We observed, on the 16th gestational day, that this treatment did not modify the spontaneous frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (mPCE) in the bone marrow of the females nor in the livers of their fetuses. The mPCE frequency observed 24 h after an intraperitoneal injection of CP (40 mg/kg) on the 15th day was significantly lower in CaJ-pretreated pregnant female bone marrow and in the liver of their fetuses than those observed in the group treated with CP only. These results demonstrate the presence of natural anticlastogens in carrots.