Food mutagens formed from amino acids during heating of meat have the potential to induce serious consequences on human health. As a result, the identification of naturally occurring, genoprotective agents, is of great importance. The aim of this study was to chemically characterize a root and leaf extracts of Gentiana lutea and to investigate the antigenotoxic effects of extracts and pure constituents (gentiopicroside and mangiferin). Antigenotoxic effects were shown for combinations with the food borne mutagens IQ and PhIP using hepatoma HepG2 cells. Furthermore, their antioxidant activity and their capacity to modulate Nrf2 expression and affect the glutathione redox status were tested. Chemical analyses showed that the most abundant constituents found in root extract are gentiopicroside and sweroside. On the other hand, homoorientin and isovitexin were the dominant ones in leaf extract. Strong genoprotective activities of all tested compounds against both mutagens were observed in alkaline comet assays (up to 77% of tail intensity inhibition, p < 0.001). The protection against glutathione depletion was partially due to the radical scavenging activity and up-regulation of Nrf2 expression by the substances. The results of this study strongly encourage further investigations of the antimutagenic properties of G. lutea.

Keywords: Antigenotoxicity; Antioxidant activity; Food mutagens; Gentiana lutea; Glutathione depletion; Nrf2 transcription factor.