K. Sukumaran et R. Kuttan, INHIBITION OF TOBACCO-INDUCED MUTAGENESIS BY EUGENOL AND PLANT-EXTRACTS, Mutation research. Genetic toxicology testing, 343(1), 1995, pp. 25-30
Inhibitory effects of eugenol, a compound present in many spices such
as cloves, cardamom etc. and the extracts of Anacyclus pyrethrum and S
pilanthes calva which are traditionally used in India during the prepa
ration of chewable tobacco, on tobacco-induced mutagenesis were evalua
ted using Ames Salmonella/microsome assay. Eugenol significantly inhib
ited (P < 0.001) tobacco-induced mutagenicity at concentrations of 0.5
and 1 mg/plate. Anacyclus pyrethrum extract (1 mg/plate) produced 74.
33% inhibition while the extract of Spilanthes calva at 2 mg/plate inh
ibited tobacco-induced mutagenesis by 86.4%. Eugenol and the plant ext
racts also inhibited the nitrosation of methylurea in a dose-dependent
manner.