THE GENOTOXIC POTENTIAL IN-VITRO AND IN-VIVO OF THE ALLYL BENZENE ETHERIC OILS ESTRAGOLE, BASIL OIL AND TRANS-ANETHOLE

Estragole, trans-anethole and basil oil were tested for their ability to induce DNA repair in rat hepatocytes in vitro and in rat liver in a n ex vivo test. There was a marked induction of UDS by estragole and b asil oil in vitro (LOEC about 10(-5) mol/l). The basil oil we used con tained about 88.2% estragole. It is evident from our results that the induction of UDS with basil oil could be directly related to its main constituent estragole. trans-Anethole was only slightly effective in t he in vitro UDS test. The ex vivo UDS test led to clearly elevated DNA repair for estragole and basil oil in rats treated orally with doses up to 2 g/kg body weight. Estragole was not positive in a chromosomal aberration test with V79 cells either via direct treatment, with rat l iver S9 mix or with rat hepatocytes as source of metabolism.