title: Reduction of urinary mutagen excretion in rats fed garlic.
abstract: Naturally occurring substances of plant origin are known to possess antimutagenic potential. Garlic (Allium sativum) was fed to rats in dried powdered form at 0.1%, 0.5% and 1% concentrations in their diet for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment benzo[a]pyrene (1 mg/rat) was injected intraperitoneally and 24-h urine was collected from the rats. Urinary mutagens were quantitated by the Salmonella typhimurium assay. There was a significant reduction in the excretion of urinary mutagens by carcinogen-exposed rats fed garlic. Further, there was a stimulation in the activities of liver cytosolic glutathione-S-transferase and liver and lung quinone reductases. The study suggested that the antimutagenic potential of garlic may be mediated through induction of detoxification enzymes in target tissues.
authors.affiliation: Food and Drug Toxicology Research Centre, National Institute of Nutrition (Indian Council for Medical Research), Hyderabad. icmrnin@ren.nic.in
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Polasa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krishnaswamy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene; D004032:Diet; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D009153:Mutagens / Q000378:metabolism*; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D009153:Mutagens; D001564:Benzo(a)pyrene; D016660:NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone); D005982:Glutathione Transferase