Intake of anthocyanidins pelargonidin and cyanidin reduces genotoxic stress in mice induced by diepoxybutane, urethane and endogenous nitrosation

• Pelargonidin and cyanidin can inhibit genotoxicity of diepoxybutane and urethane.
• Genotoxic damage induced by endogenous nitrosation is reduced by anthocyanidins.
• Ascorbic acid enhances the antinitrosating effect of pelargonidin.

Pelargonidin (PEL) and cyanidin (CYN) are among the six most abundant anthocyanidins which provide red, blue and purple colors to fruits and vegetables. Health benefits associated with intake of anthocyanins have been attributed mainly to antioxidant activity of these color pigments. The aim of our present study was to assess in mice the impact of PEL and CYN intake on genotoxic stress induced by DNA damaging environmental toxicants. These anthocyanidins were administered by gavage to mice before exposure to genotoxic carcinogens diepoxybutane (DEB) and urethane (URE). In addition, the inhibitory effect of PEL and CYN on endogenous nitrosation was evaluated by using a model nitrosation reaction mixture consisting of methyl urea (MU) + sodium nitrite (SN) which reacts in the stomach to form the carcinogenic methyl nitrosourea (MNU). All the test doses of PEL (2.5–20 mg/kg) and CYN (1–4 mg/kg) significantly reduced the genotoxicity of DEB. A dose-related increase was observed for antigenotoxicity of PEL against URE. The lowest test-dose of CYN showed maximum protection against URE. Co-administration of PEL/CYN with the nitrosation reaction mixture led to reduction in genotoxicity. CYN was more effective as an inhibitor of endogenous nitrosation. Combination of PEL with ascorbic acid (AA) enhanced the antinitrosating effect when compared to that with each phytochemical alone. The results of our present study indicate that common anthocyanidins PEL and CYN can play a major role in reducing genotoxic stress induced by environmental toxicants.