Antimutagenic Effect of Polysaccharides Extracted from Soybeans Fermented with Basidiomycetes on 2-Amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx)

The antimutagenic activity of polysaccharides extracted from soybeans fermented with Agrocybe cylindracea (AC) or Phellinus igniarius (PI) against 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidaxo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) was examined using a Salmonella/Ames test and host-mediated assay in mice. The polysaccharides from the soybeans fermented with A. Cylindracea and P. igniarius inhibited the mutagenic acitivity of the cooked food mutagen, MeIQx, by 31.2% and 35.3%, respectively. The polysaccharides also inhibited MeIQx genotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner in micel. These results suggest that the polysaccharides from soybeans fermented with A. cylindracea or P. igniarius exhibit antimutagenic properties against MeIQx in vitro and in vivo.