The role of dioscorea hispida in inducing DNA damage on placental tissues of maternal rats: a molecular basis / Tengku Aideed Syah Tengku Abu Bakar

Dioscorea hispida (D. hispida) which traditionally known as ‘Ubi Gadong’ is a common food-source among Asian countries’ suburbs. However, the presence of chemically active compound knowingly cyanide in D. hispida is attributable to its potential effects on cellular homeostasis; which may be induced by excessive free radicals generation-related oxidative stress. This phenomenon warrants for a systematic toxicology analyses. In this animal modelling study, the deleterious effects of D. hispida was assessed by demonstrating molecular DNA damage and oxidative stress in placenta tissues of maternal rats following 15 days of D. hispida’s supplementation by oral gavage. From day 6 until 20th day of gestation, pregnant rats were randomly sorted into non-supplemented or control and supplemented groups. Supplemented groups were classified according to three different concentrations; T1: 250 mg/kg, T2: 500 mg/kg and T3: 1000 mg/kg. On day 21, rats’ placenta tissues were harvested following euthanasia and the detrimental effects were elucidated by using biochemical analysis and comet assay for demonstration of oxidative stress and DNA damage. Comet assay revealed significant increase of DNA damage in rat’s placenta tissues which showed significant different comparison between Cx with T1 and T3 at p value < 0.05. Besides, the results revealed that there is significant different between T3 and T2 with p < 0.05. The ROS level depicted an increasing trend proportional to concentration of D. hispida, however, no significant value was observed between groups. The outcome from present study may postulate that the production of ROS by-products were triggered following D. hispida’s supplementation, and thus highlighted that different of concentration D. hispida supplementation toward maternal rat for 15 days could induces alteration in DNA damage through excessive ROS generation.