EFFECTS OF ESSENTIAL OILS ON GLUTATHIONE-S-TRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN MICE

A total of 30 essential oils and 16 of their processing byproducts were assayed for their ability to induce increased activity of the detoxifying enzyme system glutathione S-transferase in A/J mice. Enzyme induction in the cytosols of the liver, forestomach, and small intestinal mucosa was examined. Test samples that elicited enzyme activity greater than 2.5 times the control level in at least one of the three tissues studied were considered active. By use of this criterion, 26 active substances were obtained. They were categorized into three groups according to their enzyme-inducing activity in different tissues. The first group had nine samples that induced enzyme activity significantly higher than that of the control in all three tissues examined. A second group of nine samples induced 3 times the enzyme activity in the mucosa. A third group of eight samples was found to increase enzyme activity greater than 2.5 times the control in either the liver or mucosa. Since anticarcinogenic activity of compounds has been found to correlate with their ability to induce increased activity of detoxifying enzymes, the active samples are good candidates for the isolation of potential chemopreventive agents.