ABSTRACT
Using Salmonella typhimurium strains TA 100 and TA 1535, the mutagenicity and anti-mutagenicity of extracts of several spices were checked. Spices like pepper, pippali, ginger and mustard increased the number of revertants indicating their mutagenic potential. Garlic extract on the other hand was found to inhibit the mutagenicity produced by direct acting mutagens such as N-methyl N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and sodium azide. Asafoetida and turmetic extract were found to inhibit microsomal activation dependent mutagenicity of 2-acetamidofluorene. Similar results were also obtained using curcumin and eugenol which are phenolics present in turmeric and clove respectively. These results indicated that some of the spices may ameliorate the effect of environmental mutagens especially present in the food.
Subject(s)
2-Acetylaminofluorene/antagonists & inhibitors , Animals , Antimutagenic Agents/pharmacology , Azides/antagonists & inhibitors , Male , Methylnitronitrosoguanidine/toxicity , Mutagenicity Tests , Mutagens/pharmacology , Rats , Salmonella typhimurium/drug effects , Sodium Azide , Spices/toxicityABSTRACT
This paper reports the antimutagenic activity of plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1, 4-naphthoquinone) against certain known chemical mutagens in a standard mutagenicity test system of Ames using S. typhimurium strains. Plumbagin by itself did not show any mutagenic effect, whereas it reduced significantly the mutagenic effect of 4-nitrophenylene diammine, phenyl hydrazine and sodium azide in test strains of S. typhimurium, suggesting that plumbagin possessed antimutagenic activity.