Introduction: Helenium cf. amarum (Raf.) H. Rock is a plant of the family Asteraceae. Its common name is yellow camomile. It is used as tranquilizer, stimulant and digestive, and for the treatment of nausea, fever and skin disorders. Objectives: carry out a phytochemical screening and evaluate the cytotoxic and genotoxic effect of a crude hydroalcoholic extract of Helenium amarum using the Allium cepa test. Methods: seeds of Allium cepa were subjected to germination at four concentrations (0.6, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 mg/ml) of H. amarum crude leaf extract. After being dried in an oven for 5 days, they were pulverized and macerated in 70 % ethanol at room temperature for 72 hours. The extract was then filtered and the liquid phase subjected to a rotary evaporator. Two sorts of treatment were applied: 1) continuous treatment: the seeds were germinated directly in the extract at different concentrations. 2) intermittent treatment: the seeds were first germinated in Milli-Q water until they grew 2 cm long rootlets, and were then exposed to different extract concentrations. Results: the germination rate was affected by extract concentration, and was lower than that of the negative control in all treatments. The mitotic index for all concentrations was lower than that of controls for both treatments. In batch processing, the aneugenic effects index at the assayed concentrations was lower than that of controls, whereas the clastogenic index was 1 % for the control and treatments 1 and 3 mg/ml, lower than 1 % for treatments 0.6 and 2 mg/ml, and 20 % for the positive control. Phytochemical screening showed positive results for tannins and steroids. Conclusions: Helenium amarum has toxic and cytotoxic effects and allelopathic action, but not genotoxic effects at the assayed concentrations.

O gênero Cecropia é conhecido popularmente por "embaúba" e apresenta várias espécies medicinais, sendo que estudos com a espécie C. glaziovii Sneth indicam que o extrato aquoso apresenta efeitos broncodilatador, anti-hipertensivo e antidepressivo, provavelmente, atribuídos às catequinas, procianidinas e flavonóides. O presente estudo objetivou avaliar os potenciais efeitos tóxico, citotóxicos, clastogênicos e aneugênicos do extrato bruto hidroalcoólico de folhas de C. glaziovii, por meio da dose letal média (DL50), da análise de micronúcleo em células de medula óssea de roedores e do teste com Allium cepa e realizar a prospecção fitoquímica. Os resultados demonstraram que as concentrações testadas não causaram toxicidade aguda, nem apresentaram atividade clastogênica e aneugênica, sugerindo que o extrato de C. glaziovii não interferem na divisão celular. A prospecção fitoquímica indicou a presença de taninos, flavonóides, fenóis, antraquinonas, cumarinas, catequinas, proteínas, açúcares redutores, depsídeos/depsidonas e triterpenos. Mesmo assim, esses resultados não prescrevem o consumo terapêutico da espécie, sem continuidade da sua avaliação e do cumprimento de todas as etapas pré-clínicas e clínicas.

The genus Cecropia is as known popularly "embaúba" and presents several medical species. Studies with the species C. glaziovii Sneth indicates that the hydroalchoolic extracts presents bronchodilator, anti-hypertensive and antidepressive effects, probably due its contests catechins, procyanidins and flavonoids. The aim of this study was to assess the potential toxic, cytotoxic, clastogenic and aneugenic effects of the crude hydroalchoolic extract of leaves of C. glaziovii, by means of the determination of the median lethal dose (LD50), the analysis of micronucleus in cells from bone marrow of rodents and through the Allium cepa assay, and also to performe the phytochemical screening. The results showed that at the concentrations tested no cause acute toxicity, as well as no clastogenic and aneugenic activity, was observed suggesting that the extract of C. glaziovii do not interfere in cell division. The phytochemical screening indicated the presence of tannins, flavonoids, phenols, anthraquinones, coumarins, catechins, proteins, reducing sugars, depsides, depsidons and triterpenes. Howerver, these results do not prescribe therapeutic consumption of the species, without keeping its evaluation and the achievement of all pre-clinical and clinical stages.