Clastogenicity of the food constituent higenamine in cultured V79 cells.

Abstract excerpt

Higenamine is a catecholic benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid occurring in plant-derived foods and food supplements, the latter potentially resulting in substantially higher exposure levels than conventional foods. Because of its catechol and alkylphenol structures, oxidative conversion to electrophilic quinone or quinone methide intermediates is plausible, raising concern about a potential genotoxic hazard....

Topics

• Animals
• Tetrahydroisoquinolines
• Alkaloids
• Micronucleus Tests
• Hypoxanthine Phosphoribosyltransferase
• Mutagens
• Cricetulus