Implication of active oxygen species in the direct-acting mutagenicity of tea

The present study shows that the L-arabinose resistance test with Salmonella typhimurium detects that freshly infused tea is highly mutagenic in the absence of mammalian microsomal activation. Both the mutagenesis protocol (preincubation test) and the additional genetic characteristics of the bacterial tester strain (excision repair deficiency, normal lipopolysaccharide barrier and the presence of plasmid pKM101) were critical factors in the optimal induction by tea of forward mutations to L-arabinose resistance. The TA104 strain--a histidine auxotroph specific to oxidative mutagens--was the most sensitive tester strain of the Ames test to the direct-acting mutagenicity of tea. In comparison with strain TA104, the sensitivity of the Ara forward mutation test was 18 times higher, one cup of tea (200 ml) inducing 3 X 10(6) AraR mutants. More than 90% of the mutagenicity of 150 microliter of a fresh tea infusion, or that of the equivalent amount (1.32 mg) of the corresponding lyophilized residue, was suppressed by 10 units of catalase. In contrast to catalase, superoxide dismutase was rather ineffective. These results indicate that hydrogen peroxide is produced in tea solutions, playing an essential role in its mutagenicity. In comparison, the role of superoxide anion seems negligible. Like catalase, the chelating agent DETAPAC showed a protective effect with respect to the mutagenicity of tea, suggesting the additional implication of hydroxyl radicals.