Effects of sorbic acid and sorbic acid-nitrite in vivo on bone marrow chromosomes of mice.

The effect of sorbic acid alone and in combination with sodium nitrite has been studied on bone marrow chromosomes of mice following 30 days oral treatment. Bone marrow of mice exposed to sorbic acid (15 mg/kg) and sorbic acid nitrite (7.5-1 mg/kg) showed an increase in mitotic index indicating that the drugs had an effect on spindle apparatus. Sorbic acid effected spindle activity but did not damage chromosomes, whereas nitrite itself was clastogenic. However, a combination of half the concentration each of sorbic acid (15 mg/kg) and sodium nitrite (2 mg/kg) together gave synergistic effects, which may be ascribed to the formation of some genotoxic compound in vivo.