Mutagenicity of Four Natural Flavors: Clove, Cinnamon, Thyme and Zataria multiflora Boiss.

Natural flavors are widely used in various foods, cosmetic andpharmaceutical products. these kinds of additives are applied as colors, preservatives,aroma and tasting agents.objective: the large-scale use of certain food flavors requires accumulation oftoxicological data on these substances, particularly in cases where structural similaritieswith other known substances showing genotoxic or carcinogenic properties indicate thatsome restrictions on human consumption or exposure should be implemented the case ofthe flavors.methods: in this study, concentrations of 50, 100, 200, 300, 500, 1000 and 2000 ىg/ml offour essential oils, eugenia caryophyllata (clove), cinnamum zeylanicum (cinnamon),thymus vulgaris (thyme) and zataria multiflora, were tested in salmonella typhymuriumstrains ta100 with and without rat liver s9 using ames salmonella reversion assay.results: without s9 fraction, increase in mutant colonies per plate was not observed inall used concentrations. also with s9 fraction all of samples had no significant increase inmutant colonies per plate except clove in 500 ىg/ml, and higher concentrations.conclusion: based on obtained results, clove oil may have mutagenic effect in 500ىg/ml and higher concentration.