The effect of ascorbic acid on the amine-nitrite and nitrosamine mutagenicity in bacteria injected into mice

Ascorbic acid was tested for its ability to increase or decrease the induction of bacterial mutations by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) or aminopyrine plus nitrite within intact mice. No evidence was found of the mutagenicity of ascorbic acid itself when tested alone or in the presence of copper ions. Similarly, no increase or decrease in the DMN-induced mutation frequency was observed. However, ascorbic acid was found to decrease the aminopyrine/nitrite-induced mutation frequency to an extent which was dependent on the experimental conditions used.