The effects of food protector biphenyl on sister chromatid exchange, chromosome aberration and micronucleus in human lymphocytes

The aim of this study was to determine the possible genotoxic effects of biphenyl, which is used as an antimicrobial agent in food, by using sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), chromosome aberrations (CAs) and micronucleus (MN) tests in human peripheral lymphocytes. The human peripheral lymphocytes were treated with four concentrations of biphenyl (10, 30, 50 ve 70 ?g/ml) for 24 and 48 hours treatment periods. In the present study, biphenyl significantly increased the frequency of SCEs, CAs and the frequency of MN when compared with both untreated control and solvent (DMSO) control. The induction of these abnormalities were in a dosedependent manner. However, the potency of biphenyl on induction of SCEs, CAs and MN were lower than that caused by the positive control MMC. Biphenyl was capable to induce the structural CAs instead of numerical CAs. Biphenyl also showed a cytotoxic effect by decreasing the replication index (RI) and nuclear division index (NDI) in a dose dependent manner for both 24 and 48 hours treatment periods. However, biphenyl did not affect the mitotic index (MI).