In vitro genotoxicity testing of ARASCO (R) and DHASCO (R) oils

ARASCO(R) and DHASCO(R) oils are microbially-derived triglycerides rich in arachidonic (20:4n-6) and docosahexaenoic (22:6n-3) acids, respectively. Bo th oils mere tested for mutagenic activity in three different in vitro muta genesis assays. All assays were conducted with and without metabolic activa tion. Neither ARASCO nor DHASCO oil was mutagenic in the Ames reverse mutat ion assay using five different Salmonella histidine auxotroph tester strain s, nor were the oils mutagenic in the mouse lymphoma TK+/- forward mutation assay. The oils showed no clastogenic activity in chromosomal aberration a ssays performed with Chinese hamster ovary cells. Based on these assays, ne ither ARASCO nor DHASCO oils appear to have any genotoxic potential. (C) 20 00 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.