title: Mutagenicity of extracts of pickled vegetables collected in Linhsien County, a high-incidence area for esophageal cancer in Northern China.
abstract: Extracts of pickled vegetables commonly consumed in Linhsien County, a high-incidence area for esophageal cancer in Northern China, were studied for mutagenicity. The liquid residue from ethereal extracts produced a dose-dependent increase of mutants in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains; mutagenicity required the presence of a fortified liver microsomal activation system induced by Aroclor 1254 in adult male BD VI inbred rats. An amount of extract equivalent to 2.8 g fresh pickled vegetables produced sixfold (75 revertants/g) and twofold (45 revertants/g) increases in revertant frequencies in strains TA98 and TA100, respectively. Roussin's red methyl ester, a tetranitroso compound, [(NO)2Fe(CH3S)]2, not previously reported to occur in nature, was isolated and identified from the ethereal extracts. The synthetic compound was mutagenic in strain TA100 in the presence of a liver activation system, producing 25 revertants/mumol. Findings on the presence of mutagenic compounds in pickled vegetables were discussed in relation to their possible etiologic role in cancer of the esophagus in Linhsien County.
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005519:Food Preservation; D006801:Humans; D009153:Mutagens; D009603:Nitroso Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014675:Vegetables / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D009603:Nitroso Compounds; C028357:Roussin red methyl ester