The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimutagenic activity of the methanol extract of Origanum vulgare L. subsp. vulgare. Antimutagenic activity was estimated by employing the plate incorporation AMES/Salmonella histidine reversion assay. | Turk J Biol 32 (2008) 271-276 © TÜBİTAK Investigation of the Antimutagenic Potentials of the Methanol Extract of Origanum vulgare L. subsp. vulgare in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey Tülin ÖZBEK1,2, Medine GÜLLÜCE3, Fikrettin ŞAHİN4, Hakan ÖZKAN1,2, Sevgi SEVSAY5, Özlem BARIŞ3 1 2 3 4 Atatürk University, Institute of Science, 25240 Erzurum - TURKEY Erzurum Regional Hygiene Institute, Ministry of Health Turkey, 25100 Erzurum - TURKEY Atatürk University, Faculty of Art and Science, Department of Biology, 25240 Erzurum - TURKEY Yeditepe University, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Genetic and Bioengineering, Kayışdağı, 34755 İstanbul - TURKEY 5 Ankara Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation, Education and Research Hospital, Ministry of Health Turkey, 06100 Ankara - TURKEY Received: Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimutagenic activity of the methanol extract of Origanum vulgare L. subsp. vulgare. Antimutagenic activity was estimated by employing the plate incorporation AMES/Salmonella histidine reversion assay. The base pair substitution tester strain Salmonella typhimurium TA1535 and the frame shift mutagen strain S. typhimurium TA1538 were used against direct acting mutagens - sodium azide (NaN3), 4-nitro-1-quinoline oxide (4NQO) and the S9-dependent mutagen 2-aminofluorene (2AF). The results suggested that in the absence of S9 metabolic activation, all 3 doses (5, , and μg/plate) of the plant extract tested caused statistically significant (P < ) antimutagenic activity on TA1535 strain, but not on TA1538 strain. However, in the presence of S9 microsomal fraction, the plant extract exerted moderate antimutagenic activity against the 2AF mutagen and reduced mutant colonies in TA1535 and TA1538 strains. As a result, the methanol extract of Origanum vulgare subsp. vulgare showed antimutagenic effects at 5, , and μg/plate concentrations. These effects may be explained with the antioxidant
