DESMUTAGENICITY OF MELANOIDINS AGAINST VARIOUS KINDS OF MUTAGENS AND ACTIVATED MUTAGENS

The desmutagenic activities of low-molecular weight melanoidins (LM-MEL, MW 500-1000) and nondialyzable melanoidins (ND-MEL, MW above 1000) prepared from a glucose-glycine reaction system were examined by Ames' test on such mutagens/carcinogens as nitro or amino compounds of aromatics or heterocycles, azo compounds, nitroso compounds, and epoxides. ND-MEL and LM-MEL exhibited a desmutagenic activity of 25-75% against mutagenic aromatic or heterocyclic compounds such as aflatoxin B-1, B[alpha]P, 2-aminofluorene, 4-aminobiphenyl, and 2-aminonaphthalene, as well as heterocyclic amines, using S. typhimurium TA98 in the presence of S9 mix. In the case of using S. typhimurium TA100 in the absence of S9 mix, ND-MEL and LM-MEL showed a desmutagenic activity of 20-50% against 2-nitrofluorene, 4NQO and 2-nitronaphthalene. The strong desmutagenic activity of MEL from various kinds of amino acids, peptides, or egg albumin hydrolyzates with glucose was also observed against Trp-P-1. Furthermore, MEL had marked desmutagenic activity against the Trp-P-1 activated by S9 mix and synthetic N-OH-Trp-P-2.