In vivo evaluation of genotoxic potential of liver cells from rats fed with irradiated diet using flow cytometry

Abstract

Radiation sources became widely available since 1960’s, and between its main uses are the applications in food irradiation and research of effects of ionizing radiation on food products. Despite some public concern, the process is safe, free from chemical residues and presents advantages for preservation and storage. Nevertheless, safety dose parameters must be adopted in irradiation procedures to inhibit formation of undesirable and/or toxic products, for example, 2-ACB’s (2-alkylcyclobutanones) that are cyclic compounds containing four carbon rings that can be formed in food when its fat content is irradiated through breakdown of fatty acids. 2-ACBs are considered a unique class of compounds due to divergences between results of its mutagenicity potential collected from different studies. In this study, a cell population collected from rat livers were chosen for in vivo genotoxicity analysis because the importance of the liver in the metabolization of compounds. Analysis was performed using the micronuclei test using flow cytometry, allowing faster analysis, use of few materials and reduction in the number of animals, what is a subject much addressed currently in research. Irradiated rat diet did not show any genotoxic effect on liver cell populations. The improvement of the techniques is important for the future of the research since the irradiation process is already consolidated.