PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AGAINST IN-VIVO CLASTOGENICITY OF CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE OR BENZO[A]PYRENE IN MICE

Seven fruits and 10 vegetables commonly consumed in Germany were inves tigated for their anticlastogenic potencies against cyclophosphamide ( CP) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in the in vivo mouse bone marrow micronuc leus assay. We detected protective effects in 76.5% and 70.6% of the s amples, respectively, and more or less distinct quantitative differenc es between the various plant materials and the two clastogens investig ated. With respect to CP, moderate activities were exerted by sweet ch erries, strawberries, cucumber, radish and tomatoes, average activitie s by bananas, oranges, peaches, asparagus and red beets and strong act ivities by yellow-red peppers and especially spinach. Apples (cultivar Jona Gold), brussels sprouts, cauliflower and onions were inactive. W ith respect to BaP, we found moderate activities in strawberries, brus sels sprouts and radish, average activities in sweet cherries, oranges , peaches, asparagus, red beets, cucumber and spinach and strong activ ities in bananas and kiwi. Apples, cauliflower, onions, tomatoes and y ellow-red peppers were inactive. When oranges were fractionated accord ing to previously described schemes (Edenharder et al., 1995), anticla stogenic activities against CP were exerted by materials extracted wit h n-hexane, acetone and 2-propanol and in the terminal residue, but no t in the dichloromethane and water phases. With respect to BaP, materi als extracted with acetone showed strong anticlastogenicity while-the 2-propanol fraction, the aqueous phase and the terminal residue were l ess potent. The n-hexane and the dichloromethane fractions were inacti ve. In red beets, all fractions showed anticlastogenicity against CP a nd BaP as well. However, the n-hexane and dichloromethane fractions we re most potent with respect to CP, while for BaP the aqueous phase and the terminal residue were most effective. These result suggest the pr esence of various (groups of) anticlastogenic compounds with different chemical structure. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. AII rights reserve d