Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIM: To detect and evaluate the antimutagenicity of ginsenoside Re by TK gene and HGPRT gene mutation tests. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The TK6 human lymphoid cells were exposed to ginsenoside Re at concentrations 12.5, 25, 50,100 μg/ml simultaneously with 5 μg/ml of methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) for 4 h. Determination of mutant frequency of TK locus and HGPRT locus were performed by using the microwell method. RESULTS: The mutant frequencies of TK locus and HGPRT locus after treatment with ginsenoside Re were significantly suppressed compared with the MMS control, in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Ginsenoside Re had obvious inhibitory effect on TK gene and HGPRT gene mutation induced by MMS. TK6 could be used for both TK and HGPRT gene mutation tests, and TK gene mutation test was more sensitive than that of HGPRT in detection of ginsenoside Re antimutagenicity.

Key words: ginsenoside Re, TK6 cell, TK gene mutation test, HGPRT gene mutation test