Abstract: Objective To inhibit the mutagenicity and genetic damages of mouse marrow cells induced by Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) , Artemisia capillaris Thumb (ACT) had been used to evaluate the possibility of anti-mutagenicity. Methods The test s of Ames test , micronucleus , chromasome aberration and sister chromatid exchanges of mouse bone marrow cells were used to detect the mutagenicity and anti2mutagenicity of ACT and AFB1 . Result s As expected , the mutagenicity of ACT was negative. Put 0. 1 ml ACT ext ract (the concernt ration was 0. 125 , 0. 25 , 0. 5 , 1. 0 and 2. 0 g/ ml) to culture medium of AFB1 (5μg/ plate) , the inhibition rates of TA98 and TA100 were 22. 9 - 54. 36 , the difference was very remarkable ( ( P < 0. 01) . The inhibition effects of ACT to micronuclei , chromosome aberration and sister chromatid exchanges indued by AFB1 were very remarkble too , and the relationship of dose2reaction was very evident . Conclusion These results showed that ACT had very st rong inhibition to the mutagenicity and genetic damages induced by AFB1 and might have the function to repair the DNA damages , which suggested that ACT would have greater meaning to prevent or t reat cancers.

Key words: Artemisia capillaris Thumb, Aflatoxin B1, Micronucleus, Chromasome abbrration, Sister chromatd exchanges, Ames test