An in vitro assessment of the genotoxic potential of pan masalas.

An aqueous extract of pan masala was tested for its in vitro effects on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells by utilizing parameters like sister chromatid exchange (SCE), cellular kinetics and chromosome aberration (CA) assay. The cytogenetic damage brought about by the extract was dose dependent. The increase in SCE values was highly significant (P less than 0.001) for all the three concentrations tested. The treatment delayed the cell cycle progression. Frequencies of chromosome aberrations were elevated for all the concentrations utilized, however, a significant rise was obtained only at the highest concentration of 50 microliters/ml.