쑥의 주요 휘발성분이 Salmonella typhimurium TA100에서 aflatoxin B$_1$의 돌연변이 유발성에 미치는 영향을 조사하기 위해 쑥(Artemisia asictica nakai)의 생엽과 볶음 쑥차로 부터 휘발성향기성분을 Tenax trap으로 포집하여 분리하였다. GC-MS로 동정된 9가지 주요화합물중 myrcene, cineole camphor, caryophyllen, coumarin, farnesol은 돌연변이 유발을 억제시키는 효과가 있었으며, 2-pyrrolidine, thujone, 그리고 1-acetylpiperidine은 증가시키는 효과가 있었다. 그러나 이들 9가지 화합물을 혼합하여 시험하였을 때는 돌연변이 억제효과만 현저하였다. 따라서 2-pyrrolidine, thujone, 그리고 1-acetylpiperidine의 돌연변이 증가효과는 쑥중의 항돌연변이 물질에 의해 그 효과를 나타내지 못함을 알 수 있었다.
Volatile aromatic compounds collected from raw and roasted mugwort (Artemisia asictica nakai) leaves by the Tenax trap and some major volatile compounds were separated and identified by GC-MS. The identified compounds were tested for the antimutagenic and mutagenic activities against aflatoxin B$_1$(AFB$_1$) using their authentic compounds. Six compounds (myrcene, cineole, camphor, caryophyllen, coumarin, and farnesol) showed antimutagenic activities, but 2-pyrrolidine and thujone showed mutagenic activities. 1-Acetylpiperidine formed during roasting mugwort leaves exhibited mutagenic activities. When the mutagens and antimutagens were mixed, the mixture reduced the mutagenicity of AFB$_1$. These results suggested that the extract of mugwort leaves is not mutagenic and so the mugwort leaves might be used as a food and as medicinal sources without mutagenicity.
