title: Induction of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE), polyploidy, and micronuclei by plant flavonoids in human lymphocyte cultures. A comparative study of 19 flavonoids.
abstract: Nineteen naturally occurring flavonoids were studied with regard to their SCE-inducing potency and their capability of inducing polyploidy and micronuclei in human lymphocyte cultures. The cells were treated for a period of 48 h. The flavone C-glycosides, vitexin and orientin, exhibited a moderate SCE-inducing activity, whereas the other compounds displayed only weak effects or were inactive. Polyploidy was induced by procyanidins consisting of 3 or 4 flavanol units and to a lesser extent by flavone, flavonol, and anthocyanidin aglycones. The aglycones as well as the C-glycosides and the O-glycosides, spiraeoside and luteolin-7-glucoside, were more or less active in inducing micronuclei in the lymphocytes. The flavonol O-glycosides, rutin and hyperoside, and the monomeric and dimeric flavanols failed to produce any genotoxic effects. The results are discussed with respect to a possible structure-activity relationship.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Botanik und Pharmazeutische Biologie der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, F.R.G.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Popp
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schimmer
mesh_terms: D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective / Q000187:drug effects*; D016296:Mutagenesis; D011123:Polyploidy; D012854:Sister Chromatid Exchange / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids