No abstract

Eight plant species belonging to different families were extracted and fractionated by organic solvents and their total extracts were tested against aryl hyrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity and 3H‐benzo(a)pyrene binding to DNA in vitro. The n‐butanol extract was more effective than the extracts of chloroform and petroleum‐ether, respectively. None of the aqueous extracts showed any inhibitory effects on both AHH activity and 3H‐benzo(a)pyrene binding to DNA. The extracts obtained from Cypressus sempevirens L., Anchusa strigosa L., Myrtus communis L., and Crataegus monogyna L. were more effective than the extracts from Achillea santolina L. and Thuja occidentalis L. However, extracts obtained from Adiantum capillus‐veneris L. and Salsola rosamarinus L. exhibited no effects. The results suggest that the inhibitory effects of these plant extracts on AHH activity and 3H‐benzo(a)pyrene binding to DNA might have similar effect in vivo and there might be used in the prevention of cancer.

Total phenolic plant fiavonoids obtained from Thuia accidentalis L. and Cupressus sempevirens L. showed antimutagenic effects on benzofa) pyrene [B(a)P] in Salmonella typhimurium strains TAlOO and TA98. The n-butanol extract was more effective then chloroform and petrol eum-ether extracts, respectively. Aqueous extracts exhibited no inhibition in both strains. Total Javonoids from C. sempevirens showed more antimutagenic activity than fiavonoids from T. accidentalis. None of the extracts revealed any cytotoxic or mutagenic activity on the bacterial tester strains.