Assesment of the genotoxic effects of sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate in human peripheral lymphocytes

In this study, the in vitro genotoxic effects of sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate, which are used as an antimicrobial agent in foods, have been determined in human peripheral blood lymphocytes using chromosome aberrations (CAs), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), micronuclei (MN) and comet assay. The effects of sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate on mitotic index (MI), replication index (RI) and nuclear division index were also investigated. 6,25; 12,5; 25; 50 and 100 µg/ml concentrations of sodium benzoate and 62,5; 125; 250; 500 and 1000 µg/ml concentrations of potassium benzoate were used. Both of the addivites significantly increased the frequency of chromosome aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges and micronuclei in a dose dependent manner. Mitotic index was significantly decreased at all treatments dose dependently. Replication and nuclear division indices were not effected by the additives used. According to the comet assay results both sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate increased the comet tail intensity and comet tail length at almost all concentrations. It is concluded that sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate have clastogenic, mutagenic, aneugenic and cytotoxic effects on human lymphocytes in vitro.Science Code: 203.1.048Key Words: Sodium benzoate, Potassium benzoate, Chromosomal aberration (CA), Sister chromatid exchange (SCE), Micronucleus assay (MN), Comet assayPage Number: 82Adviser : Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deniz YÜZBAŞIOĞLU