Clastogenicity of beta-caryophyllene in mouse.

Beta-caryophyllene (BC) is a chemical found in the essential oil of numerous plants which have shown various biomedical properties. In the present investigation we examined for the first time its genotoxic capacity in vivo by evaluating its potential to induce micronuclei in mouse. In a first assay we administered three doses of the compound once, and in a second assay, we administered three doses of BC in three consecutive days. In each assay, the results were compared with those obtained in a group of mice administered corn oil and in another treated with adryamicin. Our results revealed no genotoxic effect by BC in the two assays. Moreover, no bone marrow cyotoxicity was observed when the proportion of polychromatic erythrocytes was determined with respect to the number of normochromatic erythrocytes. Therefore, our study showed the relevance of extending research on BC regarding its beneficial properties.