Plant phenolics protect from bleomycin-induced oxidative stress and mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium TA102

Abstract

Antioxidants are deemed to be important against DNA damage and mutations induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS). An assay for the ability of plant phenolics to protect against mutations caused by bleomycin treatment in Salmonella typhimurium TA102 cells in concentrations tip to 20 muM was developed. Caffeic acid, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, ferulic acid and rutin hydrate in final concentrations of 0.5 to 20 muM were tested for their ability to protect TA102 cells from mutations caused by oxidative stress from bleomycin. The cut-off concentration of 20 muM was used because as a limit it is biologically meaningful, higher concentrations being unrealistic in vivo. Caffeic acid was very potent at a concentration of 0.5 - 20 muM. The other four antioxidants were not effective rip to 20 muM. The above assay will be helpful to characterize antioxidant molecules.