• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.147-156
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• 2013

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. tolerans JG22 isolated from pepper leaf jangajji on the mutagenic activity of N-methyl, N'-nitro, N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and 2-nitrofluene (2-NF) and to evaluate the effect of physico-chemical pretreatment on the antimutagenic activity of the strain. The viable cells of JG22 strain displayed a significantly high (p <0.05) antimutagenic activity against both mutagens tested. The antimutagenic effect of JG22 strain seems to be positively correlated with the amounts of the cells in the incubation time. This strain produced the antimutagenic activity of the maximum levels after preincubation for 30 min. The binding of this strain against the mutagenic compounds might be mainly present in the cell wall fraction rather than the cytosol fraction. Pretreatment with proteolytic enzymes and simulated gastric and intestinal juices and at different pH values had no significant effect on two mutagens removal by the viable cells. However, the binding activity of the mutagen by the strain seems to be affected by heating, enzymes including $\alpha$-amylase and lysozyme, divalent ions, and sodium metaperiodate. Thus, carbohydrates consisting of the cell walls may be important elements responsible for the binding of MNNG and 2-NF by this strain. In conclusion, the binding of the mutagens to cells of JG 22 strain may play a vital role in suppressing the process of mutagenesis induced by mutagens.