Role of antimutagens/anticarcinogens in cancer prevention.

Recently it has become increasingly clear that chemicals found in our foods and beverages can prevent the genetic damage that leads to cancer initiation. Such substances may also affect subsequent events in the pathways that lead to cancer, and may have the potential to inhibit the mutations that allow tumor cells to become resistant to antitumor agents. We describe here the antimutagenic potential of Glabrene analogs against EMS-induced mutations utilizing modified Ames tests in S. typhimurium TA 100 and E. coli JC 5088. Results of studies of the ability of well-known antioxidants such as EGCG and related compounds to prevent drug resistance mutations in microorganisms are described, and their possible significance in the prevention of chemotherapeutic drug-resistance in tumor cells is discussed.