Antimutagenic activity of Myrtus communis L. using the Salmonella microsome assay

The mutagenic and antimutagenic activities of hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts from leaves of Myrtus communis, were investigated by the Salmonella typhimurium assay. The different extracts showed no mutagenicity when tested with Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 either with or without metabolic system (S9). On the other hand, each of the tested extracts exhibited a significant protective effect against the mutagenicity induced by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and TA98 assay systems, and against the mutagenicity induced by sodium azide in TA100 and TA1535 assay system. Ethyl acetate and methanol extracts showed the highest level of protection towards the direct mutagen, sodium azide, and indirect mutagen AFB1.