Chemical Composition, and Antimutagenic Activities of Ethanolic and Aqueous Extracts of Tigernut ().

Tigernut, also known as , is said to be high in nutritional and medicinal value. The purpose of this study was to determine the 's antimutagenic activity. The ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the nut were analyzed for chemical constituents, antioxidants, ultraviolet-visible, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using standard procedures. The extracts contained a total of 17 major compounds that were docked against human RecQ-like protein 5 (RECQL5) helicase protein. The antimutagenic property of the ethanolic extract was assessed using the chromosome assay. Onion bulbs were pre-treated with 200 mg/kg of ethanolic extract of for 24 h and then, grown in NaN (250 μg/L) for 24 h; onion bulbs were also first exposed to NaN (250 μg/L) for 24 h before treatment with 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg of the ethanolic extract respectively. Standard methods were used to determine the mitotic index and chromosomal aberrations. Results revealed that ethanolic extract contained flavonoids (22.47 mg/g), tannins (0.08 mg/g), alkaloids (19.71 mg/g), glycosides, phenol, and tannin and showed high scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyland HO. Docking with RECQL5 showed good binding energies (∆G>-7) of five compounds in ethanolic extract. The assay results revealed a significant (<0.05) reduction in chromosomal aberrations and a higher mitotic index in groups treated with the ethanolic extract. The antimutagenic activity of ethanolic extract was attributed to its high levels of phytosterols and phenolic compounds.