engleski

The effect of quercetin on the species Polycelis felina (Daly.)

Flavonoids are phenolic compounds widely present in plants as secondary metabolites. They exhibit a wide range of biological effects arising mainly from their ability to modulate several enzymes or nuclear receptors, alter gene expression, and chelate bivalent metals. Quercetin is the most abundant of the flavonoid molecules in plants. We studied the effect of quercetin on the multi-eyed flatworm Polycelis felina (Daly.) in laboratory conditions. This is a very suitable test-organism availabe year-round in nature, easily maintained in the laboratory. The results showed that depending on the dose and treatment period quercetin caused locomotory (behavioral) changes of treated animals such as aggregating into groups, resting and unsynchronized movements and twisting of particular body parts. Morphological changes in the form of depigmentation of certain body parts were the result of damage or deterioration of reticular and parenchymal cells. On histological preparations in the period between the third and seventh day after the treatment in gastroderm were determined numerous basophilic bodies that represented cell parts of damaged and decomposed cells. All histological preparations revealed a larger decline of cellular material, therefore a damaging effect of quercetin on the multi-eyed flatworm Polycelis felina (Daly.). The most exceptional changes are noticed on totipotent cells of neoblasts and reticular cells. Determined changes were most intensive on the third day after the treatment, when animals were in the process of recovery and above mentioned cells were represented in higher number compared to control group of animals.

Quercetin ; Planarian ; Depigmentation ; Deformations ; Neoblasts ; Reticular cells

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