9-Methoxytariacuripyrone, a naturally occurring nitro-aromatic compound with strong mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium.

9-Methoxytariacuripyrone, a nitro-aromatic compound isolated from Aristolochia brevipes showed strong mutagenic activity in strain TA98, TA100 and some YG strains of Salmonella typhimurium with and without S9 mix. Incubation with cytosol resulted in a heavy increase in mutagenicity. When incubated with microsomes the activity was dramatically decreased. The results are discussed in view of the enzymes possibly involved in activation and detoxification of the compound. The role of the basic structure on the mutagenicity mediated through the nitro group was also considered.