Mutagenic activity of acrolein in S. typhimurium and E. coli.

Acrolein was tested for mutagenic activity in seven strains of Salmonella typhimurium and one strain of Escherichia coli using a preincubation assay procedure. Cytotoxicity was evident at dosing levels above 33 and 67 micrograms acrolein per plate in the absence and presence of S-9 activation, respectively. Evidence of mutagenic activity was seen at non-toxic dosing levels in S. typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 and E. coli strain WP2 uvrA. Responses in TA98 and E. coli were marginal at best, but a firm positive mutagenic activity was noted in TA100 at 20 micrograms per plate without S-9 activation and at 67 micrograms per plate with S-9 activation. The results of this study demonstrate the mutagenicity of acrolein under highly controlled conditions.