Clastogenic and Anticlastogenic Effect of the Essential Oil from Casearia sylvestris Swart

The essential oil composition obtained from the leaves of Casearia sylvestris has been investigated by GC and GC/MS. Thirty-seven compounds were identified in the oil. The major constituents of which were beta-caryophyllene (27.5%) and bicyclogermacrene (24.2%). The clastogenic and anticlastogenic effect of the oil was tested by chromosome aberration in cells of tissue hepatoma of Rattus novergicus. The three different concentrations of C. sylvestris oil showed clastogenic effects. However, in the tests of anticlastogenicity, the same three concentrations showed protective activity when associated with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS).