Activation of aniline by extracts from plants and induction of chromosomal damages in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Activation of aniline by plant extracts was studied by a chromosomal damage induction assay in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in vitro. Extracts from roots of Vicia faba activated aniline and the activation caused increases in chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and endoreduplicated cells (ERCs), but did not cause sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs). Extracts from Pisum sativum and Lactuca sativa, however, did not activate aniline. All C- hydroxylated metabolites of aniline, o-aminophenol, m-aminophenol and p- aminophenol, induced not only CAs but also SCEs in CHO cells. These results show that the pathway for aniline activation by Vicia extracts is by means other than the C-hydroxylation.