INHIBITION OF TOBACCO-INDUCED MUTAGENESIS BY EUGENOL AND PLANT-EXTRACTS

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.