DIETARY GARLIC EXTRACT IN MODIFYING CLASTOGENIC EFFECTS OF INORGANIC ARSENIC IN MICE - 2-GENERATION STUDIES

Mice were fed by gavage crude garlic extract (100 mg/kg b.wt.) for 30 consecutive days. One set was administered sodium arsenite (0.1 mg/kg b.wt.) simultaneously. Another set was treated with sodium arsenite on ly. Mice given distilled water were kept as negative control. Exposed mice from each set were sacrificed and bone marrow preparations examin ed for chromosomal aberrations and damaged cells. Sodium arsenite is a strong clastogen and the effects were reduced to a significant level by prolonged administration of garlic extract. For F-1 studies, expose d male mice were mated with exposed female mice and the progeny examin ed. In the progeny, clastogenic effects of sodium arsenite persisted i n a lower degree, indicating that the metal is able to cross the trans placental barrier. There was no statistically significant difference b etween the effects in progeny of parents only given sodium arsenite an d those given both the metallic salt and garlic extract. Garlic extrac t is able to reduce the clastogenic effects of sodium arsenite when gi ven simultaneously for prolonged periods in the parents; however, the effect is meagre in the next generation.