Micronucleus Frequency in Exfoliated Buccal Cells from Indigenous Coca and Mambe Chewers - Abstract
Among the Indigenous cultures of Southern of Colombia, the chewing of coca and mambe are a very common and ancient practice in almost all age group. The leaves of several species of the shrub Erythroxylum, popularly known as coca, are the natural source of cocaine. Traditionally, indigenous population has chewed the coca leaves to prevent fatigue during long hours of work. In the practice of chewing, the coca leaves are mixed with limestone powder and maintained between the molars and inner cheeks. This tradition has been associated with adverse effects in oral cavity and upper digestive tract. Effects and the composition of coca have been extensively studied; however, the cytogenetic effects in the oral cavity associated to the habit of chew coca leaves and mambe received less attention. In this context, we used the Micronucleus assay (MN) to compare cytogenetic damage in the cells of oral mucosa of coca and mambe chewers. We observed a significant increase in MN frequency among coca and mambe chewers compared to control group; indicating strong cytogenetic damage associated to the habit of coca and mambe chewing. Together, this study reemphasizes the efficacy of MN assay as method in health hazards monitoring associated by habit
and life styles.