Mutagenicity of comfrey (Symphytum Officinale) in rat liver.
Comfrey is a rat liver toxin and carcinogen that has been used as a vegetable and herbal remedy by humans. In order to evaluate the mechanisms underlying its carcinogenicity, we examined the mutagenicity of comfrey in the transgenic Big Blue rat model. Our results indicate that comfrey is mutagenic in rat liver and the types of mutations induced by comfrey suggest that its tumorigenicity results from the genotoxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the plant.
Mei
N
N
Division of Genetic and Reproductive Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, US Food and Drug Administration, HFT-130, 3900 NCTR Road, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA.
Guo
L
L
Fu
P P
PP
Heflich
R H
RH
Chen
T
T
D000470:Alkaloids / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D020844:Comfrey / Q000633:toxicity*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats
D000470:Alkaloids; D009153:Mutagens
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