The evaluation of maté (Ilex paraguariensis) genetic toxicity in human lymphocytes by the cytokinesis-block in the micronucleus assay

The present study evaluates the clastogenic and/or aneugenic potential of maté (Ilex paraguariensis) – previously tested for the presence of 48 organophosphorous pesticides – in the culture of human lymphocytes in the absence of exogenous metabolic activation. Peripheral blood was obtained once from three healthy female donors for lymphocyte cell cultures. The cultures were treated with maté infusion (filtered in sterilized sartorius filter with a 0.22mm pore membrane), distilled water (negative control), and 6μg/ml bleomycin (positive control). For each experimental person, 3000 binucleated cells (BN) from two independent cultures (1000 cells from replicate cultures) were scored for the presence of micronuclei (MN). No statistical differences between maté infusion concentrations were observed: 1400μg/ml (0.001±0.002), 700μg/ml (0.0006±0.0015), 350μg/ml (0.002±0.002), 175μg/ml (0.002±0.003) and negative control (0.001±0.001). The present findings show that there is no clastogenic or/and aneugenic basis underlying maté action in the CBMN assay.