Suppression of 6-TG-resistant mutations in V79 cells and recessive spot formations in mice by vanillin.

The antimutagenic effects of vanillin, anisaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde and coumarin were investigated in cultured Chinese hamster V79 cells in vitro. The frequencies of 6-TG-resistant mutations induced by UV or X-rays were decreased by treatment with each compound during the expression time. These decreases were not due to cytotoxic effects on cellular growth or killing effects on damaged cells. The antimutagenic effect of vanillin was also investigated in vivo in the mouse spot test using male PW and female C57BL/10 mice. Female mice were injected intraperitoneally with ethylnitrosourea (ENU) on the 10th day of pregnancy and received 3 successive oral administrations of vanillin. Administration of vanillin decreased the ENU-induced frequency of recessive carrier pups. These results indicate that vanillin acts as an antimutagen in mammalian cells both in vitro and in vivo.