Genotoxicity risk assessment of diversely substituted quinolines using the SOS chromotest.

Quinolines are aromatic nitrogen compounds with wide therapeutic potential to treat parasitic and microbial diseases. In this study, the genotoxicity of quinoline, 4-methylquinoline, 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO), and diversely functionalized quinoline derivatives and the influence of the substituents (functional groups and/or atoms) on their genotoxicity were tested using the SOS chromotest. Quinoline derivatives that induce genotoxicity by the formation of an enamine epoxide structure did not induce the SOS response in Escherichia coli PQ37 cells, with the exception of 4-methylquinoline that was weakly genotoxic.