Inhibition of aflatoxin B1-induced cytotoxicity and binding to DNA in cultured rat liver cells by naturally occurring flavones.

For naturally occurring flavones, quercetin, fisetin, nobiletin, and tangeritin, protect cultured rat liver epithelial-like cells against aflatoxin B1-induced cytotoxicity and inhibit the binding of [3H] aflatoxin B1 to cellular DNA. The methoxy-substituted flavones, nobiletin and tangeritin, show greater protection against cytotoxicity than do the hydroxy-substituted compounds, quercetin and fisetin.