Studies on the Mutagenicity and Hepatotoxicity of Antaeum

안태음의 변이원성 및 간독성에 관한 연구

Antaeum(ATE) has been used as a prescription for threatened abortion, associated with pregnancy in traditional medicine. Because gravida could be administered ATE for a long period, its administration might cause a harmful effect on fetus and gravida during the pregnancy. This study aimed to determine whether exposure to ATE caused mutagenicity or hepatotoxicity during the pregnant period. For mutagenicity test of ATE, Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus subtilis were used as indications for DNA damage. In the Ames test, Samonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 were used for mutagenicity testing, and the number of histidine revertants was measured. In Rec-assay, Bacillus subtilis H $17(Rec^+)$ and $M-45(Rec^-)$ strains were used to clarify the DNA damage property. In the SOS umu test, Salmonella typhimurium TA15335 containing plasmid pSK1002 was used as a tester strain, and we monitored the levels of umu operon expression by measuring the ${\beta}-galactosidase$ activity. From the tested results, ATE did not show DNA damage and mutagenicity. On the other hand, hepatotoxicity of ATE to female ICR mice was monitored by the measurements of s-GOT, s-GPT and LDH activities after oral feeding for 15 days. ATE did not show significant change of s-GOT, s-GPT and LDH activities in mice sera.