A nitrosated arginine derivative, a powerful mutagen

An arginine derivative, benzoyl-L-arginineamide, when nitrosated, showed a powerful mutagenic action on $\text{E. coli}$ and $\text{Salmonella typhimurium}$. The active principle was identified to be 4-benzoylamido-4-carboxamidon(N-nitroso)butylcyanamide. The mutagenic activity of the new compound was more than 30 times higher than that of N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine at neutral pH.