Plant antimutagenic agents, 2. Flavonoids.

A number of known prenylated flavonoids were isolated from Psoralea corylifolia using an assay procedure based on inhibition of the mutagenic action of 2-aminoanthracene on Salmonella typhimurium (T-98). All of these compounds were toxic rather than antimutagenic or desmutagenic. Bakuchiol [17], a known prenylated phenolic terpene, was also isolated; its activity was not due to toxicity. Biochanin A [4], a known isoflavone, was similarly isolated from Cicer arientinum and was active and nontoxic. Some of the above flavonoids were studied for inhibition of the mutagenicity of several different mutagens with results depending upon the structure of the flavonoid and the mutagen.