Absence of DNA Damage in Comet Assay and Liver Initiation Activity of Cinnamaldehyde

Abstract

To clarify the in vivo genotoxicity of cinnamaldehyde (CNMA) that is present in cigarette smoke, 8 organs and bone marrow of male mice given a single oral administration of 250 or 125 mg/kg body weight of CNMA were evaluated by an alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay. The liver initiation activity of CNMA was also investigated by a short-term liver initiation assay. PH (Partially hepatectomized) male rats were given 1250 mg/kg body weight of CNMA by a single oral administration 12 hours after partial hepatectomy. In the comet assay, no significant differences of nuclear migration were observed in all tissues examined in mice treated with CNMA at 3 and 24 hours after administration. In the initiation assay, there were no significant increases in areas and numbers of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) positive foci in the livers of rats treated with CNMA. Based on these results, the possibility that CNMA has in vivo genotoxicity or liver initiation activity appears to be extremely low.