Investigation of the mutagenicity of ethylphenylglycidate.

EPG and an in vitro digest of EPG by pepsin and pancreatin simulating mammalian digestion have been examined for genotoxicity in 4 mutagenicity tests employing different genetic endpoints. In the Salmonella reverse mutation assay, EPG showed only slight mutagenic activity against TA100, a strain responsive to base-pair exchange activity, in the presence of S9 mix. In vitro EPG was mutagenic for CHO-K1-BH4 cells with or without metabolic activation, the activity being greater in the presence of metabolic activation. In the in vitro SCE test, EPG was clastogenic for CHO-K1-BH4 cells independent of metabolic activation. EPG also induced transformation of C3H T10 1/2 mouse fibroblasts in vitro, producing both type II and type III foci. Subjecting an EPG solution to a simulated mammalian digestion process lowers the genotoxic activity of the solution.