# A Review on Potential Antimutagenic Plants of Saudi Arabia
## 6 How Can Plants Be Used as Preventive Medicine in Mutagenic Complications?  
Plant resources from ancient times have been extensively studied and used for treating various ailments. The extracts and several active ingredients of these natural sources are reported to possess antioxidant potential. The important phytoconstituents known to produce antioxidant activity are phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, carotenoids, diterpenoids, coumarins, anthraquinones, saponins, and xanthones [54,55]. Evidence from previous studies suggest a strong relationship between antioxidant property and anti-mutagenic potential [50, 51, 52, 53]. Interestingly, some dietary components, such as tomatoes, carrots, spinach, turmeric, mustard oil, and guava, were found to possess anti-mutagenic potential due to antioxidant action [56]. Table 1 summarizes the important antioxidant phytoconstituents reported for anti-mutagenic activity.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Pityoconstituents** & **Mode of Action** & **Source** & **Active Ingredients** & **Antimutagenic Test** & **References** \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Flavonoids} & Neutralizes and scavenges & _Millingtoni hotensis_ & Hispidulin, hortensin & _S. typhimurium_ strain & [57] \\  & all types of oxidizing & _Glycyrhizia glabra_ & Quercetin, myricetin & In vivo mouse micronucleus & [58] \\  & radicals. & _Oximum basililcium_ & Herperidine & _S. typhimurium_ strain & [59] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Phenolic compounds} & Scavenges all types of free & _Camelia sinensis_ & Epicatechin, & In vivo mouse lymphoma cell & [60] \\  & radicals. & _Curcuma longa_ & Curcumin & In vivo rat micronucleus & [61] \\  & & _Syzgium aromaticum_ & Eugenol & In vivo mouse micronucleus & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Tannins} & Scavenges reactive oxygen & \multirow{3}{*}{_Acacia milotica_} & Tannic acid, ellagic acid, gallic acid & In vivo mouse micronucleus, & [62,63] \\  & species and inhibits lipid & peroxidation. & & acid, gallic acid & In-vitro _S. tyribi_ strain & [62,63] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Carotenoids} & Protects cell from free & \multirow{3}{*}{_Ducus carota_} & Beta-carotene, & \multirow{3}{*}{In vitro callus culture cell lines} & [64] \\  & radical attack and improves & the antioxidant status. & & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Diterpenoids} & Counteracts against & \multirow{3}{*}{_Aquillura agallocha_} & \multirow{3}{*}{Erythrovydiol} & In vivo rodent spleen DNA & [65] \\  & oxidative stress-induced & lipid peroxidation. & & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Cumarins} & Reduces the effects of & _Syanlea corylifolia_ & Psoralen & In vivo mouse micronucleus & [66] \\  & oxidative stress. & _Selinum monriere_ & Imperatorin & (In-vitro) & [67] \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Anthraquinones} & Improves the status of & \multirow{3}{*}{_Aloe burlorescence_} & Aloe-emodin- & \multirow{3}{*}{_D. melanogaster_ phenotype test} & [68] \\  & antioxidants. & & & anthrac & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Saponins} & Scavenges free radicals and & \multirow{3}{*}{_Panax ginseng_} & Ginseng saponin & _S. typhimurium_ strain & [69] \\  & introduces the functioning of & antioxidant enzymes. & & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Xanthones} & Acts against & \multirow{3}{*}{_Visma amazonica_} & \multirow{3}{*}{Euxanthone} & _S. typhimurium_ strain & [70] \\  & oxygen-derived free & & & & \\ \cline{1-1}  & radicals. & & & & \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Monoterpencoids} & Protects against NADPH & \multirow{3}{*}{_Cymbropgan citrates_} & \multirow{3}{*}{Citral} & In vivo mouse micronucleus & [71] \\ \cline{1-1}  & induced oxidative injury. & & & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 1: Some important plants having antioxidant and anti-mutagenic properties.