• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.51-59
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• 2008

Objectives : Buplueri Radix (BR), used medical plant in Korea traditional medicine, contains various compounds, including a series of triterpene saponins known as saikosaponins. We performed this study for the protective effect of BR against oxidative damage induced by 1,2,4-benzentriol(BT) in human lymphocytes. Methods : In order to investigate the protective effect of BR against carcinogens, genotoxicity induced by benzene metabolite, BT were performed using cytokinesis-block micronucleus(CBMN) assay and comet assay. Results : The frequency of micronucleus at 25, 50 and $100{\mu}M$ concentration of BT were $8{\pm}2.36$, $23{\pm}2.31$, $35{\pm}4.17$ respectively. In addition of BR with concentration of 25 and $50{\mu}g/mL$, MN frequencies were significantly decreased. According to comet assay, BT induced DNA damage in a dose-dependent manner at concentration of 10 and 50 while BT with BR treatment decreased DNA breakage. No genotoxicity was observed by BR($25{\sim}50{\mu}g/mL$) treatment alone on DNA breakage. Since BT can induce DNA damage through the generation of reactive oxygen species(ROS), we examined the level of ROS in human lymphocytes treated with BT and/or BR using DCF-DA, ROS-sensitive probe. The generation of ROS in BT-treated cells was also observed, and BR addition inhibited the level of BT-induced DNA damage. Conclusions : From above results it is suggested that BR could protect the cell and DNA from pro-oxidant effect by ROS by BT