Antimutagenicity of Chyawanprash in Ames test

Abstract

Received: 16 May 2016 Accepted: 29 Jun 2016 Some medicinal plants are known to contain natural mutagenic and antimutagenic substances. Chyawanprash is an Ayurvedic preparation most widely used as general tonic or health supplement. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the mutagenic/antimutagenic potential of Chyawanprash using Salmonella mutagenicity test. Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA1537, TA1538, TA100 and TA102 were used for mutagenicity testing. Antimutagenicity study was carried out in tester strains TA1538 and TA100 against various standard mutagens with and without metabolic activation. Chyawanprash was found to be non-mutagenic, whereas exhibited anti-mutagenic potential in this assay as it inhibited the mutagenicity induced by a direct mutagen 4-nitro-ophenylenediamine and indirect mutagens such as 2-Aminofluorene, 2-Anthramine, Benzo(a)pyrene and Cigarette Smoke Condensate. The antimutagenic activity was more potent in the presence of metabolic activation than without the same. The exact mechanism of antimutagenic potential of Chyawanprash is not known. The enhanced anti-mutagenic activity of Chyawanprash on pre-incubation indicates the antimutagenic factor(s) may be desmutagenic in nature. The possibility of having diverse antimutagenic factor(s) in Chyawanprash which act by different mechanisms is strongly indicated. Chyawanprash by having antimutagenic potential may play an important role in neutralization of various dietary mutagens and acts as a prophylactic agent against human ill health attributable to mutation. Further study in this aspect using some other in vivo and in vitro tests is warranted before any final conclusion.