Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 1999-10
Mutagenicity and cytotoxicity of fruits and vegetables evaluated by the Ames test and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay / Mutagenicidad y citotoxicidad de frutas y vegetales evaluadas por el test de Ames y el ensayo del bromuro de 3-(4,5-dimetiltiazol-2-il)-2,5-difeniltetrazolio (MTT)
The mutagenic and cytotoxic activity of the aqueous (H2O) and ethanolic (EtOH) extracts of fruits and vegetables were studied by the Ames test and the MTT assay. A significant mutagenic activity was found for three H2O extracts of broccoli (Brassica oleracea), carrot (Dacus carota) and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and for one EtOH extract of kiwi (Ananas sativus ) of the nine species analyzed. The frameshift tester strain TA98 was reverted by broccoli (2.4, 4.8 and 9.6 mg/mL; p < 0.01) and carrot (9.6 mg/mL; p < 0.001) aqueous extracts and by kiwi (9.6 mg/mL; p < 0.0001) EtOH extract, whereas strain TA100 was only sensitive to the mutagens of licorice H,O extract, within the nine fruits and vegetables tested. The mutagenic response of the extracts was not altered by the presence of S9 mix. Cytotoxicity was only found for three of the nine species tested. Percentage cytotoxic ac tivities at 4.8 mg/mL in pineapple (Actinidin diasinensis) and garlic (Allium sativum) H,O extracts were 77 and 91 %, respectively. Licorice EtOH extract was the only one that showed a cytotoxic activity at all of the concentrations used. The percentage of cytotoxic activity of licorice extract was 63% at 0.24 mg/mL and increased with increasing concentration of licorice up to 4.8 mg/mL. Thus, licorice (EtOH) extract was the most cytotoxic of the species tested.
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