ANTIMUTAGENIC ACTIVITY OF EXTRACTS FROM JAPANESE EGGPLANT

Using the Salmonella/microsome assay, the antimutagenic effects of spe cific components of the extracts from eggplant fruits were investigate d. The eggplant fruit juice exhibited an antimutagenic activity agains t 3-amino-1-methyr-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2) induced mutagenici ty. Tn some of the fractions extracted with several organic solvents ( acetone, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and methanol), the activity w as recognized. No mutagenicity or toxicity for Salmonella typhimurium TA98 in the presence of S9 mixture was observed with any of the extrac ts. It is suggested that there are multiple components of the activiti es that exist in the eggplant fruit. We isolated lutein from the 84% m ethanol (methanol/water, v/v) layer, pheophorbide or chIorophyllide fr om the 70% methanol layer and tannins containing sugar-moieties from t he water layer. Pheophytin a and b, Mg-free derivatives of chlorophyll a and b, were isolated from the petroleum ether layer as possible ant imutagens. The pheophytin a with S9 mix inhibited by 30-40% the mutage nicity of Trp-P-2.