ANTIMUTAGENIC ACTIVITY OF CAROTENOIDS IN GREEN-PEPPERS AGAINST SOME NITROARENES

In Mexico, as well as in Central and South American countries, the con sumption of peppers (Capsicum annuum) has been tradition for thousands of years; the per capita dietary intake of peppers is about 40 g/day. Peppers are an important source of beta-carotene and vitamin A, which have antimutagenic and/or anticarcinogenic properties. Tn the present study, Salmonella typhimurium tester strain YG1024 in the plate-incor poration test was used to examine the antimutagenicity of carotenoids extracted from five different types of Capsicum spp, ('Chilaca', 'Pobl ano', 'Serrano', 'Jalapeno' and 'Pimiento') which were chosen, based o n their consumption and availability on the local market. Extracts fro m these peppers were tested against 1-nitropyrene (1-NP); 1,6-dinitrop yrene (1,6-DNP) and 1,8-dinitropyrene (1,8-DNP) mutagenicity. Dose-res ponse mutagenicity curves of I-NP; I,6-DNP and 1,8-DNP were obtained. For the antimutagenicity studies, doses of 0.05 mu g/plate, 0.20 ng/pl ate and 0.06 ng/plate for 1-NP, 1,6-DNP and 1,8-DNP respectively were chosen, and the number of net revertants/plate were 1008 for 1-NP, 512 for 1,6-DNP, and 712 for 1,8-DNP, Trans-beta-carotene and the extract s were not toxic to the bacteria at the concentrations tested. The ext racts obtained from the peppers showed more inhibition than pure trans -beta-carotene on 1-NP; 1,6-DNP and I,8-DNP mutagenicity. Chilaca pepp er extract required 0.36 g (34 nmol expressed as trans-beta-carotene e quivalents) of fresh pepper to inhibit 94% on 1-NP mutagenicity, 78% o n 1,6-DNP mutagenicity and 84% on 1,8-DNP mutagenicity. Bell pepper (' Pimiento') extract required 1.53 g (50 nmol expressed as trans-beta-ca rotene) to obtain 87%, 79% and 73% inhibition on 1-NP; 1,6-DNP and 1,8 -DNP mutagenicity respectively. Since pure beta-carotene inhibited onl y approximately 50% the mutagenicity of nitroarenes, these results sug gest that each one of the pepper extracts have more than one antimutag enic compound (e.g., beta-carotene and xanthophylls) and those functio nal nutrients apparently have a synergistic effect. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved.