English Abstract The antimutagenic activity of chlorophyllin and hematin
was investigated with the Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 by
means of the Ames-test. Benzo(a)pyrene, the food pyrolysate
2-amino-1-methyl-6- phenylimidazo [4,5]pyridine or PhIP and 2-
aminoanthracene were used as mutagens in most experiments. These agents
exert mutagenic activity only in the presence of mammalian metabolic
activation. In all experiments the mutagenic activity of the three
chemicals could be abolished by the presence of 2 mg of chlorophyllin or 0,5
mg of hematin per selection plate. Considering the results of experiments
in which chlorophyllin and hematin were added at several different times
after the addition of the metabolic activation system, it was concluded that
the formed mutagenic metabolites were trapped and inactivated by these
porfyrines. The antimutagenic activities of these porfyrines decreased when
the porfyrine ring was destroyed as appeared from experiments with
biliverdin and bilirubin. Due to its low solubility the antimutagenic
activity of chlorophyll is not or nearly not demonstrable. The
antimutagenic activity of chlorophyllin or hematin on substances that are
mutagenic in the absence of metabolic activation such as MNNG, furazolidone,
dimetridazole, epichlorohydrin and 2-chloroethanol is lower or
absent.
