Effect of Emblica officinalis Gaertn. (Indian gooseberry) fruit extract on sodium azide and 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine induced mutagenesis in Salmonella typhimurium.

Water, acetone and chloroform extracts of E. officinalis fruit reduced sodium azide and NPD induced his+ revertants significantly in TA100 and TA97 a strains respectively of S. typhimurium. The chloroform extract was less active as compared to water and acetone extracts. Autoclaving of water extract for 15 min did not reduce its activity. The enhanced inhibitory activity of the extracts on pre-incubation suggests the possibility of desmutagens in the extracts. Besides ascorbic acid, a constituent of the extract, the role of other antimutagenic factors in the extract cannot be ruled out.