수종의 Aspergillus 및 Penicillum속 균에 의해 생산되는 진균대사 산물인 kojic acid(5-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-γ-pyrone)가 Drosophila melanogaster에 미치는 독성 효과에 대한 기초 조사를 실시하였다. Kojic acid의 처리 농도가 증가할수록 발생단계상 발육속도의 지연과 성체에 대한 높은 치사율의 증가로 강한 독성을 나타내었다. 성체에서의 LC_50 값(the concentration at which 50% of treated flies died within 72hr)은 약 4.8㎎/㎖로 추정되었으며, 발생단계상의 처리로 인한 우화 후 성비에 대한 유의적인 영향은 주지 않았다. 그리고 본 실험에서 사용한 attached-X법에 의한 반성 치사 돌연변이 유발에서도 유의적인 돌연변이 유발 효과가 없는 것으로 나타났다.

The present experiment was carried out to detect the basic toxic effect of kojic acid (5-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethyl-γ-pyrone), a fungal metabolite produced by some species of Aspergillus and Penicillium, in Drosophila melanogaster. Kojic add was highly toxic on the developmental and adult stages, resulting in prolongation of the developmental time and lowering of the viability from larvae to adult, and high mortality of adults as dose increased. The LC_50 value at 72 hr i.e., the concentration at which 50% of treated flies died within 72hr, was about 4.8㎎/㎖. As to the sex ratio of flies fed kojic acid during the development, there was no differences between the control and the treated groups. And, kojic acid gave no a significant mutagenic effect on the induction of the sex-linked lethal mutagenesis by the attached-X method used in this study.