The SCE-inducing potency of the furoquinoline alkaloid, gamma-fagarine, and a gamma-fagarine-containing tincture from Rutae Herba, in cultured human lymphocytes

gamma-Fagarine, a furoquinoline alkaloid naturally occurring in Rutae Herba induces sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in human lymphocyte cultures in a dose-dependent manner. The alkaloid is a direct-acting but weak SCE inducer. Similar direct but weak activity was detected in a sample of a commercial Rutae Tinctura which contained 68 micrograms/ml of gamma-fagarine. The strong toxicity of the tincture makes it difficult to test a broader concentration range. There is some evidence that the SCE-inducing activity of the tincture is mainly due to the presence of gamma-fagarine.