Abstract
The pyrrolizidine alkaloids senkirkine and tussilagine which occur in the aerial parts
of the medicinal plant Tussilago farfara were investigated for their ability to induce chromosome damage in human lymphocytes
in vitro. Up to concentrations of 1000 µM the two alkaloids did not enhance the number of
structural chromosome aberrations. In contrast, heliotrine, a pyrrolizidine alkaloid
used for comparison, induced chromosomal aberrations when tested at a concentration
of 100 µM. Additionally, heliotrine was capable to damage the chromosomes of unstimulated
lymphocytes, i. e. G0-phase lymphocytes.
