ANTIMUTAGENIC AGENT AND A METHOD OF REDUCING MUTAGENICITY

摘要

A component selected from a vitamin B complex consisting of thiamine pyrophosphate, folic acid and nicotinic acid, lipoic acid and thiol compounds forms (L-cysteine and reduced glutathione) of the formula RSH wherein R is are active as antimutagenic agents. These compounds reduce or completely inactivate the mutagenicity of beverages (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic) and tobacco which is enhanced by synthetic vitamin C. The increase in the mutagenicity of beverages and tobacco in combination with synthetic vitamin C can be prevented by incorporating these compounds in the synthetic vitamin C preparation. Thiamine pyrophosphate, folic acid and nicotinic acid are the components of a vitamin B complex. Lipoic acid is a coenzyme essential for the metabolism of the living body. L-cysteine is a vitamin C stabilizer and reduced glutathione antidote/liver protecting agent. Therefore, these three groups of compounds can be used in methods of reducing or eliminating mutagenicity as they can be incorporated in foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco without causing any toxicity in humans.