K.S. SANTHY, P.C. SHERLY, AND P. ARULRAJ
Abstract
Pomegranate has a long history of herbal use dating back more than 3000 years. In the present investigation antimutagenic effects of petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and water extracts of pomegranate peel and seed were evaluated in Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100 strains. Addition of Sodium azide and Daunomycin, two well known mutagens at a concentration of 10 p.1 and 6 ul per plate respectively resulted in the inductio.n in the histidine revertant colonies. However addition of 10 of petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and water extracts of pomegranate peel and seed to 10 ul of Sodium azide and 6 ul of Daunomycin treated plates resulted in the inhibition in the number of histidine revertant colonies. Further more, supplementation with all the four extracts of pomegranate peel and seed at a concentration of 10 p.1 and 6 ul per plate respectively in the presence of S9 fraction also led to a significant inhibition in Sodium azide and Daunomycin induced colony formation. The antimutagenic activity of methanol extract of pomegranate peel and seed was found to be higher than that of other extracts. Hence the study revealed that pomegranate peel and seed has protective efficacy in Sodium azide and Daunomycin induced mutagenicity in microbial test system.