MUTAGENIC POTENTIAL OF NITROGUANIDINE AND NITROSOGUANIDINE IN THE DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER SEX-LINKED RECESSIVE LETHAL ASSAY

Nitroguanidine (NG) and its degradation product nitrosoguanidine (NSG) were evaluated for their mutagenic potential by using Drosophila mela nogaster sex-linked recessive lethal (SLRL) assay. Following 72 h of f eeding exposure, NG and NSG at concentrations of 4-8 mug ml-1 and 15-2 0 mg ml-1, respectively, were not mutagenic in the test system. The fr equencies of mutations for NG and the negative control were 0.188% and 0.096%, respectively. The frequencies of mutations for NSG and the ne gative control experiments were 0.049% and 0.05%, respectively. The po sitive control mutation frequencies were 15% and 17.8% for the two ass ays. The differences between the mutation frequencies of NG and NSG an d their negative controls were not significant.