Evaluation of Mutagenic Potentials of Some Food Additives by Ames Test

Some chemicals used by human such as food additives are mutagenic and mutagenicity effects analysis of them is very important because of considerable consumption by man. One of the most common methods used in the recognition of the chemicals' mutagenicity is Salmonella Typhimurium Reverse Mutation (Ames) test. The purpose of the present study is mutagenicity effects analysis of sodium nitrite, boric acid and various kinds of borax. Bacterial strains in this study are TA98 and TA100 which are derived from Salmonella Typhimurium by creation of several mutations in Histidin operon and their dependency on this chemical; also, by creation of rfa and UVrB mutations and pKM101 plasmid addition. Sodium nitrite, boric acid and three kinds of borax were selected for the test and various dilutions of them were provided. Performing Ames test, revertant colonies average of TA98 and TA100 strains were calculated for each dilution separately as the result of the above chemicals' function; then, according to the achieved A value, dose response curve was depicted. The results of present study demonstrate non-mutagenic effects of sodium nitrite, boric acid and three kinds of borax through Ames test, by TA98 and TA100 strains. According to the wide consumption of these food additives in food industry, analysis of their mutagenic effects is very important and we suggest more investigation using different test to approve the results.