Cycasin: detection of associated mutagenic activity in vivo.

Cycasin and its lagycone, methylazoxymethanol, increase the mutant frequency of Salmonella typhimurium histidine auxotrophs when tested in the hostmediated assay. As expected, the degree of cycasin-related mutagenic activity depends on the facility with which the compound can be enzymatically deglucosylated by the normal intestinal flora.