COMBINATION EFFECTS OF QUERCETIN WITH THE HERBICIDES ATRAZINE, CYANAZINE OR GESAMPRIM IN MUTAGENICITY TESTS

The plant flavonol quercetin and the triazine herbicides atrazine, cya nazine, and gesamprim were examined individually and in combination fo r the induction of genotoxic effects. The sister chromatid exchange (S CE) assay and the gene mutation assay for 6-thioguanine resistance (HP RT) were carried out with Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Whereas n o evidence of an increased SCE rate was found, the test substances cau sed a slightly increased mutation rate in the HPRT assay after metabol ic activation with a subcellular liver enzyme preparation. Combination studies with two or three of the test substances did not result in hi gher mutation rates than those observed for the individual compounds t ested singly.