Mutagenic and Toxic Activities of Several Spices and Some Jordanian Medicinal Plants

Abstract

A total of 46 plants were tested for direct mutagenic activity using Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA102. The most active extracts were derived from Coriandrum sativum, Myristica fragrans, Eugenia caryophyllus and Zingiber officinale. Intermediate activity was shown with Carum carvi, Foeniculum vulgare, Brassica nigra. Nigella sativa. Lawsonia inermis. Mentha piperita. Thymus capitatus, Rheum officinale. Curcuma domestica and Cinnamomum zeylanicum. Weak mutagenicity was exhibited by six additional plants, and the remaining plants tested were nonmutagenic. Mycotoxins (aflatoxin B₁ and B₂) were monitored using the same 46 herbs; aflatoxin B, was detected only in Brassica nigra and Nigella sativa. The brine shrimp lethality bioassay revealed that 25 of these extracts were toxic with LC₅₀ values in the range of 1.7—579 µg/ml (ppm).