ACTIVATION OF ANILINE BY EXTRACTS FROM PLANTS AND INDUCTION OF CHROMOSOMAL DAMAGES IN CHINESE-HAMSTER OVARY CELLS

Activation of aniline by plant extracts was studied by a chromosomal d amage induction assay in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in vitro. E xtracts from roots of Vicia faba activated aniline and the activation caused increases in chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and endoreduplicated cells (ERCs), but did not cause sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs). Ex tracts from Pisum sativum and Lactuca sativa, however, did not activat e aniline. All C-hydroxylated metabolites of aniline, o-aminophenol, m -aminophenol and p-aminophenol, induced not only CAs but also SCEs in CHO cells. These results show that the pathway for aniline activation by Vicia extracts is by means other than the C-hydroxylation.