Suppression of SOS-inducing activity of chemical mutagens by metabolites from microbial transformation of (+)-longicyclene.

In this study, biotransformation of (+)-longicyclene (1) by Aspergillus niger (NBRC 4414) and the suppressive effect on umuC gene expression by chemical mutagens 2-(2-fury1)-3-(5-nitro-2-fury1)acrylamide (furylfuramide) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) of the SOS response in Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 were investigated. Initially, compound 1 was converted to three new terpenoids, ()-(10R)-10-hydroxy-longicyclic acid (2), (+)-(10S)-10-hydroxy-longicyclic acid (3), and (+)-10-oxolongicyclic acid (4) by A. niger, and their conversion rates were 27, 23, and 30%, respectively. The metabolites suppressed the SOS-inducing activity of furylfuramide and AFB1 in the umu test. Compounds 1-4 were hardly showing a suppressive effect on umu gene expression of the SOS responses in S. typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 against furylfuramid. However, metabolites showed a suppressive effect against AFB1. Compound 4 had gene expression by chemical mutagen AFB1, was suppressed 53% at <1.0 mM, and was the most effective compound in this experiment.