Structure-activity relationships for unsaturated dialdehydes. 6. The mutagenic activity of 11 compounds in the V79/HGPRT assay.

The mutagenic activity of 11 sesquiterpenoid unsaturated dialdehydes in the V79/HGPRT assay has been determined, and is compared with previously published data on the mutagenicity of the same compounds towards Ames Salmonella strains. One compound, isovelleral, is a potent mutagen in both assays, while six compounds, which are positive in the Ames Salmonella/microsome assay, show no significant activity in this study. One compound, acetylmerulidial, is negative in the Ames Salmonella/microsome assay but significantly although weakly mutagenic in the V79/HGPRT assay. The remaining three compounds are inactive in both assays. The study is part of a general investigation of quantitative structure-activity relationships for unsaturated dialdehydes, a class of natural occurring compounds known for their potent and numerous biological activities.