Antimutagenic and mutagenic activities of some terpenes in the bacterial reverse mutation assay.
The mutagenic and antimutagenic effects of linalool, linalyl acetate and beta-caryophyllene were evaluated by the bacterial reverse mutation assay on Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100, and on Escherichia coli WP2uvrA strains. Neither linalool nor beta-caryophyllene showed mutagenicity, but linalyl acetate induced a statistically significant increase in the number of revertant colonies in WP2uvrA, both with and without S9 mixture. Linalool was devoid of antimutagenic activity against 2-nitrofluorene (2NF), sodium azide (SA), methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) and 2-aminoanthracene (2AA). In contrast, beta-caryophyllene showed a strong antimutagenic activity against 2NF: at the maximum concentration tested (6.40mg/plate) the number of 2NF-induced revertant colonies was reduced by 83.9%. beta-Caryophyllene also showed to counteract the mutagenicity of SA (in TA 100), MMS and 2AA (in WP2uvrA): the effect was weak against SA (inhibition lower than 25%) and moderate against MMS and 2AA (up to 30.5%). The antimutagenic activity of beta-caryophyllene observed here suggests further studies to evaluate its possible chemopreventive properties.
Department of Human Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Antonella
A
Di Sotto
Maria Grazia
MG
Evandri
Gabriela
G
Mazzanti
D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests / Q000379:methods; D009153:Mutagens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D009153:Mutagens; D013729:Terpenes