Natural products from flora and fauna are frequently used as nutrition
al supplements and medicaments. Two short-term assays were carried out
and negative results were obtained for shark-cartilage containing pre
paration. The tests employed were the Salmonella/mammalian microsome a
ssay using tester strains TA97, TA98, TA100, TA102 and TA1535 with or
without S9 mix and the SOS-Chromotest with Escherichia coli strain PQ3
7. Evidence for shark-cartilage containing preparation functioning as
an antimutagen was detected. Using bacterial survival assays with Esch
erichia coli fpg (BH20) and xthA (BW9091), we investigated the putativ
e role of shark-cartilage containing preparation in protecting cells a
gainst lesions induced by hydrogen peroxide in normal and low iron lev
el conditions. Our data suggest that shark-cartilage containing prepar
ation can play a scavenger role for reactive oxygen species and protec
t against DNA lesions in both conditions.