Evaluation of beauvericin genotoxicity with the chromosomal aberrations, sister-chromatid exchanges and micronucleus assays

Beauvericin, a naturally occurring contaminants of food and feeds, has been implicated in several mycotoxicoses; however, there is little information on its genotoxicity. Therefore, the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of beauvericin in in vitro cultures of human lymphocytes were investigated with chromosome aberrations (CAs), sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs), micronuclei (MN) as well as mitotic, proliferative and nuclear division indices. Beauvericin caused a significant concentration-dependent increase in chromosomal aberrations, sister-chromatid exchanges and micronuclei. It also significantly decreased the mitotic index at the two highest concentrations. However, no significant change in the proliferative and nuclear division indices was found. The results indicated that BEA is genotoxic to human lymphocytes in vitro.