Studies on Natural Desmutagens: Screening for Vegetable and Fruit Factors Active in Inactivation of Mutagenic Pyrolysis Products from Amino Acids

Juice prepared from cabbage, broccoli, green pepper, egg plant, apple, burdock, shallot, ginger, pineapple and mint leaf were found to possess strong capacities of inactivating the mutagenicity of tryptophane pyrolysis products. In addition, radish, sweet potato, grape, Japanese ginger, cauliflower, beefsteak plant, enokidake mushroom and simeji mushroom were moderatly effective. The other forty one samples were inactive. Among the above eleven samples that inactivated the tryptophan pyroJysate efficiently, egg plant, burdock and broccoli showed the widest spectra of inactivating other mutagenic amino acids pyrolysates. The desmutagenic factor of cabbage is sensitive to heating (100°C) and pronase treatment, suggesting a protein character.