Mutagen and anti-mutagen in ginger, Zingiber officinale.

When rhizome juice of ginger, zingiber officinale, was added to a solution of 2(2-furyl)-3(5-nitro-2-fury)acryl amide (AF2) or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG), mutagenesis by these chemicals was markedly increased. As a result of the component fractionation of the ginger juice, it was found that [6]-gingerol was a potent mutagen. However, the ginger juice also contained anti-mutagenic component(s) against [6]-gingerol (CAS No. 58253-27-3) (present study) and tryptophan pyrolysates (Kada et al., 1978; Morita et al., 1978). It is suggested, therefore, that the [6]-gingerol component may be mutagenically activated by the presence of AF2 and NTG.