Study on mutagenic effects of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) and its derivatives in the Escherichia coli tryptophan reverse mutation assay

The di-epoxy compound bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), its first and second hydrolysis products (BADGE·H2O and BADGE·2H2O, respectively) and its bis-chlorohydrin derivative (BADGE·2HCl) were examined for their mutagenicity in the Escherichia coli tryptophan reverse mutation test with strains WP2, WP2uvrA and IC3327. The assays were performed in the presence and absence of exogenous metabolic activation (S9 fraction from rat liver). The di-epoxy compound BADGE was able to induce mutagenic effects in strains WP2uvrA and IC3327 and the epoxy-diol BADGE·H2O also showed a positive response with these strains, although the latter was less potent than the former. On the other hand, the lack of mutagenic activity of BADGE·2H2O and BADGE·2HCl was also demonstrated.