On the mutagenic action of some enzyme immunoassay substrates

The mutagenic action of six compounds used in ELISA, EMIT and EIA assays, was investigated by means of the fluctuation test, with Klebsiella pneumoniae as a test organism, and the Ames' plate incorporation test using Salmonella typhimurium TA 98, TA 100 and TA 1537. It appears that 2,2'-azino-di(3-ethyl-benzthiazoline sulphonic acid (6)) or ABTS exerts mutagenic action on Klebsiella pneumoniae at a concentration of 11 g/l, on Salmonella typhimurium TA 100 at a top agar concentration of 0.1 g/l, on Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 at 0.2 g/l and on Salmonella typhimurium TA 1537 at 10 g/l. With umbelliferone, mutagenic action was found only with Klebsiella pneumoniae at a concentration of 0.8 g/l or higher. With o-phenylenediamine, strong mutagenic activity was found only with strain TA 98 and metabolic activation at a top agar concentration of 0.001 g/l. With 5-aminosalicylic acid, beta-methylumbelliferone and p-nitrophenyl-phosphate, no mutagenic action was observed.