Affiliation: | 1 Bio-organic Unit, Cancer Research Institute, Tata Memorial Centre, Parel, Bombay 40012, India 2 Carcinogenesis Division, Cancer Research Institute, Tata Memorial Centre, Parel, Bombay 400012, India |
Abstract: | The phenolic compound, hydroxychavicol (HC), present in betel leaf, was synthesized and tested for its antimutagenic effect against the mutagenicity of the 2 tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNA), N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) and 4-(nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), in 2 different test systems, viz. the Ames Salmonella/microsome assay and the micronucleus test using Swiss male mice. We are reporting the synthesis of HC of a high degree of purity. We observed that HC suppressed the mutagenic effects of NNN and NNK in both test systems used. These results indicate that HC may have a role to play in reducing the risk of oral cancer in betel quid with tobacco chewers. |