The Mutagenicity of Nutmeg, Mace and Black Pepper and some Oil Constituents

Three spices, nutmeg, mace and black pepper, and selected oil constituents, safrole, eugenol and myristicin, were tested for mutagenicity using the Aines test. Safrole, an oil constituent, is a weak hepatic carcinogen in the rat and mouse. Safrole metabolites are more mutagenic than the parent compound. Myristicin and eugenol are structurally related to safrole and break down into similar metabolites as safrole. All three are present in nutmeg, mace and black pepper. These three spices were tested for mutagenicity in the Salmonella/microsomal mutagenicity test using strains TA1535, TA1537, TA1538, TA98 and TAlOO with and without metabolic activation. Safrole, eugenol and myristicinwere tested with metabolic activation. Safrole was shown to be a weak mutagen to TA1535 and TA1538. Mace and black pepper were shown to be weak mutagens to TA1537 with and without metabolic activation. Nutmeg exhibited no mutagenic activity in any strain. It is hypothesized that the mutagenicity of the spices was not due to safrole alone but that other unidentified oil constituents may have contributed to the mutagenicity in this test