Abstract

Sophorae radix extract (SRE) has been registered as an environment-friendly organic material that is widely used in the cultivation of crops in Korea. Matrine, the active ingredient in SRE, was reported as a toxic substance in the nervous system in mice. However, no information is available on its toxic effects in other organisms. Therefore, antimutagenicity and two kinds of genotoxicity tests (bacterial reverse mutation and chromosome aberration test) of two samples of SRE were investigated in this study. Antimutagenicity test was experimented by using bacterial reverse mutation test. In the reverse mutation test, Salmonella Typhimurim TA98, TA1535 and TA1537 were used to evaluate the mutagenic potential of SRE. Bacterial reverse mutation test was also performed on positive and negative control groups in the presence of the metabolic activation system (with S-9 mix) and metabolic non-activation system (without S-9 mix). In the chromosome aberration test, Chinese hamster lung cells were exposed to SRE for 6 or 24 hours without S-9 mix, or for 6 hours with S-9 mix. Negative and positive control groups were experimented for chromosome aberration test. As a result, the number of mutated colonies induced by 4-NQO were reduced by SRE treatment in all strains, indicating that SRE may have antimutagenic effects. Reverse mutation was not shown at all concentrations of SRE, regardless of application of the metabolic activation system. In the chromosomal aberration test, one of the SRE sample gave a suspicious positive result at 250 µg/ml in the presence of S-9 mix. For the more adequate evaluation of the genotoxic potential of SRE samples, other in vivo genotoxicity study is needed.

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