Antiformation and antimutagenic activities of extracts from pericarp and seed of zanthoxylum limonella (Dennst.) alston

Abstract

Aims: Extracts from seed and pericarp of Ma-Khwaen (Zanthoxylum limonella [Dennst.] Alston) were determined for their direct mutagenic activities with and without nitrite treatment using the Ames test on Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100. Results: Histidine revertants per plate values, measured from mutagenicity testing of seed extracts with and without sodium nitrite treatment on both tested strains, did not meet mutagenicity criteria. Similar results were obtained when the direct mutagenic activity of pericarp extract was tested on S. typhimurium strain TA100. Conversely, pericarp extract with sodium nitrite treatment showed mutagenicity on S. typhimurium strain TA98. Influence on the formation of the direct mutagen during the interaction between 1-aminopyrene (1-AP) and sodium nitrite in acid solution (pH 3.0–3.5) (antiformation) and influence on mutagenicity of the direct mutagen produced from the same reaction (1-AP-nitrite model) (antimutagen) was also investigated. The mutagenicity modification effect of each sample extract was shown by the percentage of modification (% modification). Positive values of percentage of modification represented a mutagenic decreasing effect while negative values indicated a mutagenic enhancing effect. For antiformation testing, seed extract reduced the formation of the direct mutagen obtained from the 1-AP-nitrite model on S. typhimurium strain TA98 (% modification = +69–+72%). When pericarp extract was added at the beginning of the reaction, mutagen formation enhancing effect (% modification = −61– −47%) was observed on strain TA 98. For antimutagen testing, pericarp extract at two higher concentrations (25 and 50 μl/plate) exhibited decreasing effect on mutagenicity of the standard mutagen on S. typhimurium strain TA98 (% modification = +46–+ 84%) and on strain TA100 (% modification = +10–+56%). Conclusions: Our investigations indicate that consumption of pericarp from Z. limonella with nitrite or nitrite containing food products such as ham and sausage should be avoided to prevent mutagen formation.