Inhibitory effects of molasses on mutation and nitric oxide production

In this study, the effects of four molasses related products including cane molasses (CM), carob molasses (CAM), grape molasses (GM), and sorghum molasses (SM) on the antimutation and nitric oxide (NO) production were examined. The results showed that the four molasses products, particularly CAM, inhibited the mutagenicity of 2-aminoanthracene (2-AA), an indirect mutagen; and 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide (4-NQO), a direct mutagen in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100. In addition, CAM also showed a higher ABTS radical inhibition, reducing activity, and decreasing lipid oxidative damage more than the others kinds of molasses. In the range of 0–0.8 mg/ml, the inhibitory effect of all molasses products on NO generation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated macrophages increased with increasing concentrations, and CAM showed the best inhibition of NO production. These data suggested that the four molasses related products display their biological activities in terms of antioxidation, antimutation, and anti-inflammation.