Assesment of cytotoxic and genotoxic properties of phenolic compounds and hydrolysable tannins from geranium psilostemon ledeb

Geranium species are medicinal food plants used as tonic, diuretic, antidiabetic, antidiarrheal, and antihemorrhoidal in traditional medicine. Geranium psilostemon Ledeb. (Geraniaceae), which has a rich phenolic content, grows widely in Turkey. The aim of this study is to evaluate cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the compounds isolated from G. psilostemon. Cytotoxic effects of the compounds were determined by neutral red uptake (NRU) assay. COMET assay was used for assesing genotoxic effects of the compounds. IC₅₀ values of the compounds were calculated in different cell lines to evaluate cytotoxicity. 1,3,6-tri-O-galloyl-β-glucopyranose showed the most cytotoxic effect on L1210 and V79 cell lines and IC ₅₀ values of the compound were 3.7 and 13 μg/ml, respectively. Besides, in HeLa cell line, 1,3,6-tri-O-galloyl-β-glucopyranose and gallic acid had the lowest IC₅₀, 18 and 15 μg/ml, respectively. All the compounds exhibited significant cytotoxic effects at all concentrations. Besides, they also showed genotoxic activity at 50 μg/ml. The tested compounds isolated from G. psilestemon, a medicinal food plant, have cytotoxic and genotoxic potential. Therefore, it should be considered regarding these biological acitivities. Further studies are necessary to determine the optimal concentrations of the compounds for evaluating their anticancer and other biological activities.