Acetaldehyde as a Food Flavoring Substance: Aspects of Risk Assessment.

The Senate Commission on Food Safety (SKLM) of the German Research Foundation (DFG) has reviewed the currently available data in order to assess the health risks associated with the use of acetaldehyde as a flavoring substance in foods. Acetaldehyde is genotoxic in vitro. Following oral intake of ethanol or inhalation exposure to acetaldehyde, systemic genotoxic effects of acetaldehyde in vivo cannot be ruled out (induction of DNA adducts and micronuclei).

Evaluation of the genotoxic potential of acrylamide: Arguments for the derivation of a tolerable daily intake (TDI value).

This opinion of the Senate Commission on Food Safety (SKLM) of the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) presents arguments for an updated risk assessment of diet-related exposure to acrylamide (AA), based on a critical review of scientific evidence relevant to low dose exposure. The SKLM arrives at the conclusion that as long as an appropriate exposure limit for AA is not exceeded, genotoxic effects resulting in carcinogenicity are unlikely to occur. Based on the totality of the evidence, the SKLM considers it scientifically justified to derive a tolerable daily intake (TDI) as a health-based guidance value.

Salivary nitrate/nitrite and acetaldehyde in humans: potential combination effects in the upper gastrointestinal tract and possible consequences for the in vivo formation of N-nitroso compounds-a hypothesis.

Subsequent to the dietary uptake of nitrate/nitrite in combination with acetaldehyde/ethanol, combination effects resulting from the sustained endogenous exposure to nitrite and acetaldehyde may be expected. This may imply locoregional effects in the upper gastrointestinal tract as well as systemic effects, such as a potential influence on endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds (NOC). Salivary concentrations of the individual components nitrate and nitrite and acetaldehyde are known to rise after ingestion, absorption and systemic distribution, thereby reflecting their respective plasma kinetics and parallel secretion through the salivary glands as well as the microbial/enzymatic metabolism in the oral cavity.

Comparison of points of departure between subchronic and chronic toxicity studies on food additives, food contaminants and natural food constituents.

It was generally accepted as a default assumption that No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Levels (NOAELs) or Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect Levels (LOAELs) in long-term toxicity studies are lower than in short-term ones, i.e. the toxic potency increases with prolonged exposure duration.

Metabolism of carcinogenic alpha-asarone by human cytochrome P450 enzymes.

Major metabolites of alpha-asarone in liver microsomes are epoxide-derived side-chain diols. The intermediately formed epoxides are mutagenic and form DNA adducts and thus are likely responsible for the (hepato) carcinogenic effect of alpha-asarone observed in male mice. We here investigated the role of eight human cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP1A1, 1A2, 2A6, 2B6, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A4) in the metabolism of alpha-asarone using Supersomes™.

Assessment and characterization of DNA adducts produced by alkenylbenzenes in fetal turkey and chicken livers.

Formation of DNA adducts by five alkenylbenzenes, safrole, methyl eugenol, eugenol, and asarone with either α- or β-conformation, was analyzed in fetal avian livers in two in ovo models. DNA reactivity of the carcinogens safrole and methyl eugenol was previously demonstrated in the turkey egg model, whereas non-genotoxic eugenol was negative. In the current study, alkenylbenzenes were also tested in the chicken egg model.

Formation and fate of DNA adducts of alpha- and beta-asarone in rat hepatocytes.

While alpha-asarone (aA) and beta-asarone (bA) are genotoxic and were shown to be carcinogenic the mechanisms underlying these effects are not understood. Major metabolites of both compounds are epoxides which are mutagenic in the Ames test. We investigated their reactivity towards nucleosides and identified epoxide-derived DNA adducts with 2'-deoxyadenosine (dA) and 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG) using UPLC-UV/VIS, LC-MS/MS and NMR spectroscopy.

Metabolism of the carcinogen alpha-asarone in liver microsomes.

Alpha-asarone (1) is a naturally occurring phenylpropene found in several plants, e.g. Acorus calamus.

Hepatic metabolism of carcinogenic β-asarone.

β-Asarone (1) belongs to the group of naturally occurring phenylpropenes like eugenol or anethole. Compound 1 is found in several plants, e.g.

Formation of hepatic DNA adducts by methyleugenol in mouse models: drastic decrease by Sult1a1 knockout and strong increase by transgenic human SULT1A1/2.

Methyleugenol--a natural constituent of herbs and spices--is hepatocarcinogenic in rodent models. It can form DNA adducts after side-chain hydroxylation and sulfation. We previously demonstrated that human sulfotransferases (SULTs) 1A1 and 1A2 as well as mouse Sult1a1, expressed in Salmonella target strains, are able to activate 1'-hydroxymethyleugenol (1'-OH-ME) and 3'-hydroxymethylisoeugenol (3'-OH-MIE) to mutagens.

Plant polyphenols and oxidative metabolites of the herbal alkenylbenzene methyleugenol suppress histone deacetylase activity in human colon carcinoma cells.

Evidence has been provided that diet and environmental factors directly influence epigenetic mechanisms associated with cancer development in humans. The inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity and the disruption of the HDAC complex have been recognized as a potent strategy for cancer therapy and chemoprevention. In the present study, we investigated whether selected plant constituents affect HDAC activity or HDAC1 protein status in the human colon carcinoma cell line HT29.

Metabolism of methyleugenol in liver microsomes and primary hepatocytes: pattern of metabolites, cytotoxicity, and DNA-adduct formation.

Methyleugenol (1) is a constituent of many foods, in particular of herbal spices, and is used as flavoring agent in foodstuffs and as fragrance in cosmetics. 1 has been found to be carcinogenic in rodents, its metabolite, 1-hydroxymethyleugenol (2) acting as proximate DNA-binding carcinogen. We incubated 1 with liver microsomes of rat, bovine, and human origin.

Genotoxic potential of methyleugenol and selected methyleugenol metabolites in cultured Chinese hamster V79 cells.

Methyleugenol is a substituted alkenylbenzene classified by the European Union's Scientific Committee on Food as a genotoxic carcinogen. We addressed cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and mutagenicity caused by methyleugenol and selected oxidative methyleugenol metabolites in Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts V79 cells. Cytotoxicity was measured by two cell proliferation assays, water soluble tetrazolium salt (WST) 1 and sulforhodamine B (SRB) assays.

Metabolism of methylisoeugenol in liver microsomes of human, rat, and bovine origin.

Methylisoeugenol (1,2-dimethoxy-4-propenylbenzene, 1) is a minor constituent of essential oils, naturally occurring as a mixture of cis/trans isomers. 1 is a U.S.