• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 1998

Antimutagenic activity of Saururus chinesis (Lour.) Bail was investigated for food-borne mutagens using S. typhimurium TA98. Methanol extract from Saururus Chinesis (Lour.) Bail was fractionated into hexane, chloroform, ethylacetate and butanol fractions, followed by determination of antimutagenic activity for food-borne mutagenic heterogenic amines (HCA). The hexane fraction exhibited a strong antimutagenic activity for 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f] quinoxaline (MeIQ), 2-amino-3,4-dimethyl-3H-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQx), 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyroid[4,3-b]indole acetate (Trp-2-A); however its fraction rather enhanced the bacterial mutagenicity of 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethyl-3H-imidazo[4,5-f]quinozaline (4,8-diMeIQx) and 2-amino-3,7,8-trimethyl-3H-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoxline (7,8-diMeIQx). Active principle in the fraction was found to be two major compounds (${\gamma}$-crene B and epi-bicyclosesquiphellandrane) and 6 minor compounds (${\delta}$-caryophyllene, ${\gamma}$-elemene, ${\beta}$-cabebene, ${\delta}$-cadinene, ${\delta}$-selinene, and patchoulene). Modulation effect for the mutagenic activity of the food-borne mutagenic HCA by the fraction might be derived from a cumulative effect of each individual compounds. Hence, this hexane fraction might be use to reduce the production of mutagenic HCA during cooking process of protein-rich foods.