Associations of the bacterial mutagenicity of halogenated 2(5H)-furanones with their MNDO-PM3 computed properties and mode of reactivity with sodium borohydride.

Electrophilicity as a general basis for both the mutagenicity and nucleophile inactivation of halogen-substituted 2(5H)-furanones was tested. Lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels and stabilities of 2(5H)-furanone radical anions and C-2, C-3, and C-4 anionic hybride adducts were computed with MNDO-PM3 for each of 10 compounds. These three computed sets of values were considered electrophilicity indicators. Each individual value from a given indicator set was plotted against the logarithm of the Salmonella typhimurium (TA100) mutagenicities (logM m ) for each of the corresponding compounds