Determination of mutagenic potencies of aqueous extracts of Thermopsis turcica by Ames test

Thermopsis turcica is an endemic species of Turkey popularly known as Eber Sansi or Piyam; it is a member of the Thermopsis genus, which contains plants considered to be medicinal throughout the world. In this study, the mutagenic effect of aqueous extracts obtained from the leaves, root, stem, and flowers of T turcica were evaluated by the Ames test, using Salmonella typhimurium TA97, TA98, TA100, and TA 102 strains with and without an S9 activation system. The results obtained were analyzed statistically using SPSS for Windows, and the Mann-Whitney test was performed for comparisons. The results showed that all of the aqueous extracts of T turcica were mutagenic for S. typhimurium TA98 with S9 mix, and, at a dosage of 3750 mu g/plate, the leaf extracts were also found to be mutagenic for S. typhimurium TA102 with or without S9 mix. The results further demonstrated that, in relation to the concentration, leaf extracts of T turcica increased the frequency of reverse mutation in S. typhimurium TA102 with S9 mix.