Genotoxicity of Medicinal Cigarettes with Antitussive and Expectorants

ABSTRACT Antitussive and expectorants cigarettes refers to tobacco-free herbal cigarettes designed to soothe respiratory irritation and reduce coughing. In this study, we evaluated the genotoxic potential of medicinal cigarette with antitussive and expectorants through an in vitro bacterial reverse mutation (AMES) test with Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100, TA1535, TA1537 and TA102, an in vivo chromosome aberration test, and an in vivo mouse bone marrow micronucleus test. In the AMES test, medicinal cigarettes with antitussive and expectorants at concentrations of up to 33 μg/plate showed no genotoxicity regardless of S9 mix. No chromosome aberrations appeared in 47.5 mg/m3 total particulate matter (TPM). Nor was there a significant increase in the number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes to total erythrocytes up to 47.5 mg/m3 TPM detected in the micronucleus test. These results confirm that antitussive and expectorants cigarettes are neither mutagenic nor clastogenic.