薬理と治療

Abstract

Yacon（Smallanthus sonchifolius）is an endemic edible plant in Andean highlands, whichhas recently been cultivated as health food in Japan. In the present study, in order to evaluatethe potential mutagenicity, the extract from the leaf and stem of yacon was tested in two testsystems, the bacterial reverse mutation test（Ames test）and the mouse bone marrow micronucleustest. The Ames test performed with 5 strains of bacteria［Salmonella typhimurium（TA 98, TA 100, TA 1535, and TA 1537）and Escherichia coli（WP2 uvrA）］, with or withoutmetabolic activation using the pre−incubation method. In the bone marrow micronucleus testusing male ICR mice, a suspension of the extract from the leaf and stem of yacon in 1％hydroxypropylcellulose was administered orally to mice at dose of 5000 mg／kg.No increase in the number of revertant colonies was observed in any test strain, with orwithout metabolic activation, at the highest dose of the extract from the leaf and stem ofyacon（5000μg／plate）tested. There were no significant increases in micronucleated immatureerythrocyte when compared with the negative control animals receiving only 1％hydroxypropylcellulose.These results suggest that the extract from the leaf and stem of yacon did not inducethe gene mutation and have no clastgenic activity in vivo.（Jpn Pharmacol Ther 2009；37：405−10）KEY WORDS Yacon, Smallanthus sonchifolius, Bacterial reverse mutation test, Mousebone marrow micronucleus test