title: The mutagenic constituents of Rubia tinctorum.
abstract: Twenty compounds were isolated from the roots of Rubia tinctorum which are used as a commercial source of madder color. Among these compounds, mollugin (1), 1-hydroxy-2-methylanthraquinone (2), 2-ethoxymethylanthraquinone(11), rubiadin (13), 1,3-dihydroxyanthraqunone (14), 7-hydroxy-2-methylanthraquinone (16), lucidin (17), 1-methoxymethylanthraquinone (18) and lucidin-3-O-primeveroside (19) showed mutagenicity with Salmonella typhimurium TA 100 and/or TA 98. Since the mutagenic compounds isolated are anthraquinone derivatives with the exception of compound 1, structure-mutagenicity relationships of the anthraquinones were also studied. The results suggested that the greatest activity is exhibited by 1,3-dihydroxyanthraquinones possessing methyl or hydroxylmethyl group on carbon 2.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Hygienic Sciences, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Goda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshihira
mesh_terms: D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005505:Food Coloring Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000880:Anthraquinones; D005505:Food Coloring Agents; D009153:Mutagens; D010936:Plant Extracts; C072500:rubiadin