Mutagenic, carcinogenic and cocarcinogenic activity of cashewnut shell liquid

The petroleum ether extract of cashewnut shell (Anacardium occidentale) was tested for its mutagenic, carcinogenic and cocarcinogenic potency. Mutagenicity tests using Salmonella typhimurium (Ame's test) Strains TA 1535, TA 100 and TA 98 showed that cashewnut shell liquid is non-mutagenic up to a concentration of 0.003% (in 0.1 ml DMSO) with and without metabolic activation (S 9 mixture). Carcinogenicity testing using murine (female Swiss albino mice) two stage skin tumourigenesis model revealed that cashewnut shell liquid has no tumour initiating potency at a concentration of 10% (in 0.2 ml acetone) while it may act as weak promoter (P < 0.05) at a concentration of 5% (in 0.2 ml acetone). Testing for cocarcinogenic potency of cashewnut shell liquid (2% and 5% in 0.2 ml acetone) demonstrated that it has no cocarcinogenic potency on mouse skin tumour model when applied along with 2 x 10(-6)% benzo(a)pyrene in acetone up to a period of 20 weeks.