Mutagenicity studies on alcohol extracts from gamma-irradiated potatoes.

The alcohol extracts freshly prepared from gamma-irradiated potatoes were examined for their mutagenic activity in bacterial and mammalian cell systems. Negative results were obtained from all following test systems: Mutation assays with Salmonella typhimurium His- strains such as TA 100, TA 98, TA 1535, TA 1537, and streptomycin-dependent mutant (SMd) strain, TA 100-10, inductests with Escherichia coli strains, K 12 GY 5027 and K 12 C600, chromosomal aberration tests with Chinese hamster cells in culture, as well as micronucleus tests in mice. In addition, no difference in the mutagenic activities was found between extracts prepared from the irradiated and the unirradiated potatoes, suggesting that no mutagenic substance was produced in potatoes following gamma-irradiation.