ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Based on the long history of the medicinal use of Thunbergia laurifolia, Clerodendrum disparifolium and Rotheca serrata, the extract formulations of these species: T. laurifolia and C. disparifolium; T. laurifolia and R. serrata; and T. laurifolia, C. disparifolium and R. serrata, called formulas 1, 2 and 3, were created for detoxification testing to take more advantage of each species. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to estimate the detoxifying effects of studied extract formulations on human cell and tissue culture as a preclinical trial. METHODS: The major phytochemicals were derived by GC-MS. The detoxification efficacy of these formulations in cells and DNA levels were derived by MTT and comet assays in toxic PBMCs (incubated with rice whisky or bathroom cleaner). RESULTS: The phytochemical constituents were detected at 23.48% phytol and 43.03% oleamide in T. laurifolia; 12.88% oleamide, 20.93% 9,12,15-octadecatrien, 25.52% squalene, 22.19% butylated hydroxy toluene and 15.36% vitamin E in C. disparifolium; and 30.41% phytol, 32.78% oleamide, and 12.20%, 9,12,15-octadecatrien-1-ol in R. serrata. The toxic cells treated with the plant formulas 1, 2 and 3 showed no IC50 values, but formulas 1 and 2 displayed higher efficacies than formula 3 did. The comet assay indicated that the experiments (the treatment on toxic cells with the plant formulas) induced significant (p < 0.05) DNA damage compared to the negative control due to poisoning occurring before administration of the plant formulas. The OTM of the controls was significantly (p < 0.05) longer than the experimental samples showing significantly reduce the toxicity of the created formulations. CONCLUSION: The formulas showed high detoxification efficacies and formulations 1 and 2 resulted in higher levels of detoxification than formulation 3, especially in immediate treatment after receiving toxic substances.
