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The effect of turmeric and curcumin, two natural antioxidants, on the frequencies of chromosome aberrations induced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells by γ‐radiation was investigated. Cells were treated with three concentrations of each drug, turmeric (100, 250, and 500 μg/ml) and curcumin (2.5, 5, and 10 μg/ml), and then irradiated (2.5Gy) during different phases of the cell cycle. Turmeric was not clastogenic by itself, whereas curcumin at 10 μg/ml enhanced the chromosomal damage frequency. Neither of the two antioxidants showed protective effect against the clastogenicity of γ‐radiation. Instead, an obvious increase in the frequencies of chromosome aberrations was observed when turmeric at 500 μg/ml was associated with γ‐radiation during G2/S phase, and curcumin at 10 μg/ml plus γ‐radiation during S and G2/S phases of the cell cycle. The results clearly indicate the exacerbated effect of turmeric and curcumin on radiation‐induced clastogenicity, suggesting that these antioxidants are also potentiating agents depending on the experimental conditions. Teratogenesis Carcinog. Mutagen. 19:9–18, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.