Suppression of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced chromosome aberrations in rat bone marrow cells by vegetable juices.

A study was made of the in vivo effects of various vegetable juices on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced chromosome aberrations (CA) in rat bone marrow cells. DMBA-induced CA consisted mainly of gaps and breaks. Exchanges were observed infrequently. Depending on the progressive severity of their chromosome damage, cells were classified into 4 categories: cells with gaps only, cells with breaks, cells with exchanges, and cells with multiple CA (more than 10 aberrations). Multiple Ca and the number of aberrations per cell, reflecting the severity of damage within a cell, were significantly suppressed by most vegetable juices investigated. The effect of fresh or boiled juices from 10 vegetables on the incidence of DMBA-induced aberrant metaphase cells (not including cells with gaps) revealed significant suppression of the incidence by fresh or boiled juice from onion, burdock, egg plant, cabbage and welsh onion. There was no difference between the effect of fresh juice or boiled juice except in the pumpkin. Fresh pumpkin juice, conversely, enhanced the incidence of aberrant cells, while boiled pumpkin juice significantly suppressed it. The present results may suggest that some vegetables, such as onion, suppress chemically induced cancer. Glutathione also suppressed DMBA-induced CA; it is, of course, well known that SH compounds analogous to GSH are plentiful in onion and welsh onion.