Lack of mutagenic activity of bile acids in bacterial fluctuation tests

3 bile acids (cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid and deoxycholic acid) were assayed for mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 in fluctuation tests in the absence of an external source of metabolic activation. At the doses tested, there were no dose-related statistically significant increases in mutagenicity compared with appropriate controls. These results do not support the claim (Watabe, J., and H. Bernstein (1985) Mutation Res., 158, 45-51) that these bile acids are mutagenic.