Alkoxy derivatives of allylbenzene, including safrole, estragole, methyleugenol, myristicin, dill apiol, and parsley apiol, are important herb and spice constituents. Human exposure occurs mainly through consumption of food and drinks. Safrole, estragole, and methyleugenol are weak animal carcinogens. Experimental data reveal the genotoxicity and/or carcinogenicity of some allylbenzenes; however, except for safrole, the potential capacity of allylbenzenes for forming adducts in human cellular DNA has not been investigated. In the present study, we have exposed metabolically competent human hepatoma (HepG2) cells to three concentrations (50, 150, and 450 muM) of each of the six aforementioned allylbenzenes and shown by the monophosphate (32)P-postlabeling assay that each compound formed DNA adducts. With the exception of methyleugenol, DNA adduction was dose dependent, decreasing in the order, estragole > methyleugenol > safrole approximately myristicin > dill apiol > parsley apiol. These results demonstrate that safrole, estragole, methyleugenol, myristicin, dill apiol, and parsley apiol are capable of altering the DNA in these cells and thus may contribute to human carcinogenesis.

Although negative in assays for mutagenicity, the clinically important antiestrogen tamoxifen induces hepatic DNA adduct formation in mice, rats and hamsters, as indicated by 32P-postlabeling, and is a potent hepatocarcinogen in rats. Both phenolic and alcoholic metabolites of tamoxifen have been reported. As these metabolites are potential candidates for sulfate conjugation, we examined whether the sulfotransferase inhibitor pentachlorophenol, a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, modulates hepatic tamoxifen adduct formation in vivo. Female ICR mice were given tamoxifen (45 mg/kg) daily per os for up to 4 days, with and without i.p. pretreatment with pentachlorophenol (20 mg/kg) 1 h before dosing with tamoxifen. At days 1, 2 and 4, liver DNA was analyzed 5 h after tamoxifen administration by a modified monophosphate version of the 32P-postlabeling assay. At day 4, pentachlorophenol pretreatment led to a large increase (13- to 17-fold) of the levels of four tamoxifen adduct fractions, while two adducts appeared unaffected, resulting in an approximately 7-fold enhancement of overall adduct formation. Significant pentachlorophenol related increases were also observed at day 1 and day 2. The mechanism of this effect has not yet been determined, but may involve the inhibition of sulfation of a tamoxifen metabolite(s) involved in the detoxication of the drug to nonelectrophilic derivatives. It was also apparent that there are two pathways of metabolic activation of tamoxifen, one being sensitive and the other resistant to pentachlorophenol.