Quercetin: A mutagen, not a carcinogen, in fischer rats

Abstract

Purified quercetin, and diets containing quercetin at 0.1 and 0.2%, are mutagens to Salmonella typhimurium TA100. This mutagenicity is enhanced with the S9 metabolic activation system. The urine of Fischer rats fed the 0.2% quercetin diet also was mutagenic with the S9 activation system, but the feces of these animals exhibited enhanced mutagenicity only without activation. This may have indicated different quercetin metabolites in urine and feces. Rats fed these diets for 64 wk showed no consistent tissue lesions, carcinogenicity or reproductive changes. Male rats fed 0.2% quercetin showed lowered blood serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and urea N levels, but these values did not reflect pathological changes.