PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF FOOD-ADDITIVES ON AFLATOXIN-INDUCED MUTAGENICITYAND HEPATOCARCINOGENICITY

Food additives such as turmeric (Curcuma longa), and active ingredient curcumin (diferuloyl methane), asafoetida (flavouring agent), butylat ed hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and ellagic ac id were found to inhibit the mutagenesis induced by aflatoxin B-1 (AFB (1)) (0.5 mu g/plate) in Salmonella tester strains TA 98 and TA 100. T urmeric and curcumin, which were the most active, inhibited mutation f requency by more than 80% at concentrations of 2 mu g/plate. Other foo d additives were also significantly effective. Dietary administration of turmeric (0.05%), garlic (0.25%), curcumin and ellagic acid (0.005% each) to rats significantly reduced the number of gammaglutamyl trans peptidase-positive foci induced by AFB(1) which is considered as the p recursor of hepatocellular neoplasm. These results indicate the useful ness of antioxidant food additives in ameliorating aflatoxin-induced m utagenicity and carcinogenicity. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd .