EFFECT OF BRASSICA-NIGRA ON BENZO[A]PYRENE MUTAGENICITY

Male rats were given diets containing Brassica nigra (mustard seed) po wder at 0, 1, 5 or 10% for 1 month and then exposed to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P. 1 mg by ip injection). The antimutagenic effect due to mustard was assessed by testing the urine of rats fed diets with and without mustard. There was a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in reversion fr equency of the TA98 and TA100 strains of Salmonella typhimurium in mus tard-fed groups. This protective effect was seen with all three doses of mustard. The study demonstrated that mustard (Brassica nigra) can b e a potent antagonist of the adverse biological effects of the ultimat e metabolites of B[a]P, a ubiquitous environmental genotoxicant.