Assessment of mutagenic activity of methyl- and phenylphenanthrenes based on Salmonella test and micronucleus test

mutagenic activity of studied compounds both in the presence (+S9) and in the absence (-S9) of an exogenous source of metabolic activation. The compounds were also tested in an in vitro chromosome aberration assay in which V-79 cells were exposed to the phenanthrene derivatives investigated both in the presence and in the absence of metabolic activation. The phenylphenanthrenes showed no mutagenic effect. These compounds occasionally induced significant decrease in the number of revertants in the Ames test. The greatest mutagenic effects were observed for 1-methylphenanthrene after metabolic activation (+S9). In the micronucleus test the greatest mutagenic effect was observed for 4-methylphenanthrene also in the presence of metabolic activation system. The results obtained are comparable to those reported earlier for the methylphenanthrenes. Assessment of mutagenic activity of methyland phenylphenanthrenes based on Salmonella test and micronucleus test