Antimutagenic activity of wheat polypeptides in human cells exposed to cadmium chloride.

Antimutagenic effects of polypeptides isolated from Triticum kiharae wheat plantule extracts have been studied on human cells exposed to cadmium chloride. The most effective polypeptide Tk-AMP-BP β -purothionin exhibited higher antimutagenic activity than wheat water extract and another peptide isolated from the same wheat species, Tk-AMP-γ 2 defensin; it also produced a pronounced antioxidant effect. This polypeptide can be used as a preventive agent for reducing the mutagenic potential of some environmental pollutants and for correction of human diseases associated with the defense system defects.