Low mutagenic activity of four hycanthone analogues in Drosophila melanogaster

Four structural analogues of the antischistosomal drug hycanthone, indicated as IA-3, IA-4, IA-5, and IA-6, were tested for their ability to induce sex-linked recessive lethal mutations in Drosophila melanogaster. The compounds were administered to adult male flies, by abdominal injection or by feeding. Although in some cases a slight enhancement of the mutation frequency was observed, the analogues tested are considerably less mutagenic in this system than hycanthone itself, the concentrations applied being approximately of equal molarity.