Ellagic acid toxicity and interaction with benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene 7,8-dihydrodiol in human bronchial epithelial cells

✍ Scribed by Robert W. Teel; Merrill S. Babcock; Rakesh Dixit; Gary D. Stoner

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 606 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0742-2091
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00117707

✦ Synopsis

Ellagic acid, a plant phenol present in various foods consumed by humans, has been reported to have both anti-mutagenic and anticarcinogenic potential. To evaluate the potential anti-carcinogenic property of ellagic acid, we tested its effects on the toxicity of benzo [aj~yrene and benzo[af~yrene, 7,8-dihydrodiol and binding of benzo[aJ~yrene to DNA in cultured human bronchial epithelial cells. The toxicity of ellagic acid itself for human bronchial epithelial cells was also determined. Using a colony-forming efficiency assay, it was found that a nontoxic concentration of ellagic acid (5 I~g/mO enhanced the toxicity of benzo [a.~yrene.7,8-dihydrodiol in human bronchial epithelial cells. In contrast, ellagic acid at concentrations ofl.5 and 3.0 I~g/ml inhibited binding of benzo[a~yrene metabolites to DNA in these cells. An explanation for the potentiating effect of ellagic acid on the toxicity of benzo[aJpyrene, 7,8dihydrodiol will require further investigation into the possible mechanisms of interaction between these two compounds.