Inhibition of promutagen activation by the antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene.

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) exhibited antimutagenic activity in the Salmonella typhimurium reversion test. Both BHA and BHT reduced reversion induced by chemicals requiring metabolic activation for effectiveness. However, they did not affect reversion induced by direct-acting mutagens. These results suggested that BHA and BHT may inhibit the metabolic activation processes and demonstrated that the S. typhimurium reversion test may be used to identify inhibitors of the neoplastic process.