The genotoxicological evaluation of several local raw foods extracts on Chang liver cells by Single Cell Electrophoresis Assay

Local raw foods such as the salted fishes, dried shrimps, anchovies and the shrimp pastes (belacan) have been used in many Malaysian cookings. In this study, the effects of those foods extracts on the DNA of the Chang liver cells were evaluated using the Single Cell Electrophoresis Assay (Comet Alkaline Assay). Percentage of damage to the DNA was calculated using manual scoring based on the severity of the DNA damage (tail moment). “Belacan” at 62.5 μg/mL showed the strongest damage to the DNA (100±2.13%), followed by the salted fish (100±8.6%), dried anchovies (21.67±8.4%) and the dried shrimps (18.5±3.4%). High salt content could be related to the genotoxicity. Further investigations should be carried out to determine their toxicological profiles to evaluate more of their potential hazards to health.