Induction of DNA Breakage by the Hot-water Extracts of Fructus Chaenomelis (Chaenomeles sinensis Koehne)

The possible mechanism of the DNA strand breaking activity of the hot-water extract of Fructus Chaenomelis (dried fruit of Chaenomeles sinensis) in a closed circular duplex replica form DNA (RFI DNA) was studied through agarose gel electrophresis under various conditions. Induction of DNA strand scission by the hot-water extract of C. sinensis occurred in dose and time-dependent manners. $Cu^{2+}$ was indispensable for the induction of DNA strand breakage. Exogeneous chelating agents inhibited the DNA breaking activity, conforming the catalytic action of $Cu^{2+}$ on generation of free radicals responsible for oxidative damage. Antioxidant enzymes and some radical scavengers were used to investigate the major radical species triggering the DNA strand scission, demonstrating that a highest inhibitory activity was found in the presence of catalase, while less in the presence of tiron (a scavenger for superoxide radical), 2-aminoethyl-isothiuroniumbromide-HBr, cysteamine (scavengers for hydroxyl radical), and 1,4-diazabicyclo [2,2,2] octane (a scavenger for singlet oxygen) in decreasing order. The findings implied that oxygen radical species generated in presence of transition divalent cation during the oxidation of some compounds contained in the hot-water extract of C. sinensis is mainly responsible for inducing genotoxicity.