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The mutagenicity, antimutagenicity, and cytotoxicity of the hot water extracts of 130 medicinal plants were examined. The results obtained using authentic alkaline phosphatase activity as the growth representative of the indicator cell, E. coli PQ37, demonstrated that the extracts of 14 medicinal plants including, Forsythia koreana Nakai, showed strong toxic effect on the cell growth, however, the extracts of 22 medicinal plants, including Phlomis umbrosa Turcz., were shown to have stimulatory effect on the cell growth. The mutagenicity and antimutagenicity of the medicinal plants were screened using SOS chromotest. The mutagenic activity was detected from 36 kinds of the samples, including Forsythia koreana Nakai and Coptis japonica Nakai. On the contrary, 12 medicinal plants, including Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge, were shown to have a significant antimutagenic activity.
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