Abstract
To investigate the mutation inducibility of surfactin C, we performed the chromosome aberration assay with Chinese hamster lung cells in vitro. The colorimetric MTT screening assay was carried out to determine the cytotoxicity index (IC(50)) of surfactin C. The IC(50) value was 125 μg/ml. For the chromosome aberration test of surfactin C, the maximum concentration was employed as 125 μg/ml, followed by 62.5 and 31.25 μg/ml for the lower concentrations, with or without metabolic activation (S9). Cyclophosphamide and mitomycin C were used as positive controls in the presence and absence of S9 metabolic activation, respectively. These results showed that surfactin C was not capable of inducing chromosome aberration, as measured by the chromosome aberration test using Chinese hamster lung cell line. There is no evidence for surfactin C to have a genotoxic potential.