Lack of Biological Plausibility and Major Methodological Issues Cast Doubt on the Association between Aspartame and Autism. Comment on Fowler et al. Daily Early-Life Exposures to Diet Soda and Aspartame Are Associated with Autism in Males: A Case-Control Study. 2023, , 3772.

The case-control study by Fowler et al [...

Stevia Leaf to Stevia Sweetener: Exploring Its Science, Benefits, and Future Potential.

Steviol glycoside sweeteners are extracted and purified from the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant, a member of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family that is native to South America, where it has been used for its sweet properties for hundreds of years. With continued increasing rates of obesity, diabetes, and other related comorbidities, in conjunction with global public policies calling for reductions in sugar intake as a means to help curb these issues, low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCSs, also known as high-potency sweeteners) such as stevia are gaining interest among consumers and food manufacturers. This appeal is related to stevia being plant-based, zero calorie and with a sweet taste that is 50-350 times sweeter than sugar, making it an excellent choice for use in sugar- and calorie-reduced food and beverage products.

Critical review of the current literature on the safety of sucralose.

Sucralose is a non-caloric high intensity sweetener that is approved globally for use in foods and beverages. This review provides an updated summary of the literature addressing the safety of use of sucralose. Studies reviewed include chemical characterization and stability, toxicokinetics in animals and humans, assessment of genotoxicity, and animal and human feeding studies.

Biological fate of low-calorie sweeteners.

With continued efforts to find solutions to rising rates of obesity and diabetes, there is increased interest in the potential health benefits of the use of low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCSs). Concerns about safety often deter the use of LNCSs as a tool in helping control caloric intake, even though the safety of LNCS use has been affirmed by regulatory agencies worldwide. In many cases, an understanding of the biological fate of the different LNSCs can help health professionals to address safety concerns.

A brief review of the occurrence, use, and safety of food-related nanomaterials.

Nanotechnology and nanomaterials have tremendous potential to enhance the food supply through novel applications, including nutrient and bioactive absorption and delivery systems; ingredient functionality; improved colors and flavors; microbial, allergen, and contaminant detection and control; and food packaging properties and performance. To determine the current state of knowledge regarding the safety of these potential uses of nanomaterials, an appraisal of the published literature on the safety of food-related nanomaterials was undertaken. A method of assessment of reliability of toxicology studies was developed to conduct this appraisal.

A reassessment of risk associated with dietary intake of ochratoxin A based on a lifetime exposure model.

Mycotoxins, such as ochratoxin A (OTA), can occur from fungal growth on foods. OTA is considered a possible risk factor for adverse renal effects in humans based on renal tumors in male rats. For risk mitigation, Health Canada proposed maximum limits (MLs) for OTA based largely on a comparative risk assessment conducted by Health Canada (Kuiper-Goodman et al.

A review of the efficacy and safety of nanoparticle-based oral insulin delivery systems.

Nanotechnology is providing new and innovative means to detect, diagnose, and treat disease. In this regard, numerous nanoparticle-based approaches have been taken in an effort to develop an effective oral insulin therapy for the treatment of diabetes. This review summarizes efficacy data from studies that have evaluated oral insulin therapies in experimental models.

Oral subchronic and genotoxicity studies conducted with the amino acid, L-glutamine.

L-Glutamine is an abundantly occurring amino acid that serves numerous nutritional and physiological functions. It has current and potential applications as a therapeutic agent, dietary supplement, food ingredient, and in animal nutrition. To assess the safety of supplemental L-glutamine, a bacterial reverse mutation assay, in vitro chromosomal aberration assay, and a 13-week toxicity study were conducted.

An appraisal of the published literature on the safety and toxicity of food-related nanomaterials.

Nanotechnology is poised to impact the food and food-related industries through improvements in areas as diverse as production, packaging, shelf life, and bioavailability of food and beverage components. An evaluation was undertaken to characterize the published literature pertaining to the safety of oral exposure to food-related nanomaterials and to identify research needs in this area. Thirty publications were identified in which a toxicological endpoint was assessed following in vivo (oral) or in vitro exposure to food-related nanomaterials.

A method to assess the quality of studies that examine the toxicity of engineered nanomaterials.

As reports on the safety of various nanomaterials have yielded conflicting results, assessment of the reliability of each study is required to objectively interpret overall safety of the nanomaterial. A 2-step method to assess the quality of nanotoxicity studies is described. The first step uses a publicly available tool to rank the reliability of the study based on adequacy of design and documentation of methods, materials, and results, providing a "study score.

Age-related differential responses to curcumin-induced apoptosis during the initiation of colon cancer in rats.

Curcumin is a widely-used dietary supplement and a chemopreventive agent for various cancers. Pre-clinical chemopreventive studies rarely consider the effect of aging. We previously reported that unlike young animals, curcumin is ineffective in middle-aged rats for colon chemoprevention.

Acute, subchronic and genotoxicity studies conducted with Oligonol, an oligomerized polyphenol formulated from lychee and green tea extracts.

Oligonol is a phenolic product derived from lychee fruit extract and green tea extract, containing catechin-type monomers and oligomers of proanthocyanidins, produced by a manufacturing process which converts polyphenol polymers into oligomers. The safety of Oligonol was assessed in acute and subchronic studies and genotoxicity assays. In a single dose acute study of Oligonol, male and female rats were administered 2000mg/kg body weight (bw) Oligonol in water by gavage.

Structure-function relationships of anthocyanins from various anthocyanin-rich extracts on the inhibition of colon cancer cell growth.

Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants and may be chemoprotective. However, the structure-function relationships are not well understood. The objectives of this study were to compare the chemoprotective properties of anthocyanin-rich extracts (AREs) with variable anthocyanin profiles to understand the relationship between anthocyanin chemical structure and chemoprotective activity, measured as inhibition of colon cancer cell proliferation.

Aging alters acute apoptotic response to azoxymethane in the colon of rats.

Deregulation of apoptosis seems to contribute to the aging process in post-mitotic tissues. However, the effect of aging on regulation of apoptosis in the colon is largely unknown. We induced colonic apoptosis using azoxymethane (AOM) in three different aged (6 week, 12 month, and 22 month) F344 rats and assessed age-related differences in induction and potential molecular mechanisms of apoptosis.

Protective effect of anthocyanin-rich extract from bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) against myelotoxicity induced by 5-fluorouracil.

The toxicities associated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a potent broad-spectrum chemotherapeutic agent, can not only affect the morbidity and the efficacy of chemotherapy but also limit its clinical use. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of a commercial anthocyanin-rich extract from bilberry (AREB) against 5-FU-induced myelotoxicity in vivo, and against chemosensitivity to 5-FU in vitro. A single injection of 5-FU at 200 mg/kg induced severe peripheral erythrocytopenia, thrombocytopenia and leucopenia as well as hypocellularity of the spleen and bone marrow in C57BL/6 mice.

Pharmacokinetics and distribution of [35S]methylsulfonylmethane following oral administration to rats.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is a sulfur-containing compound found in a wide range of human foods including fruits, vegetables, grains, and beverages. More recently, it has been marketed as a dietary supplement worldwide. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profile and distribution of radiolabeled MSM in rats.

Effect of azoxymethane and curcumin on transcriptional levels of cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 during initiation of colon carcinogenesis.

Background: Curcumin is well documented as an effective colonic chemopreventive agent in preclinical studies. Inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolism has been considered one of anticarcinogenic mechanisms of curcumin. We recently reported resistance of middle-aged F344 male rats to inhibition of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) by curcumin (Nutr Cancer, 48, 37-43).

Anthocyanin-rich extracts inhibit multiple biomarkers of colon cancer in rats.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemoprotective activity of anthocyanin-rich extracts (AREs) from bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), chokeberry (Aronia meloncarpa E.), and grape (Vitis vinifera) by assessing multiple biomarkers of colon cancer in male rats treated with a colon carcinogen, azoxymethane.

Intact anthocyanins and metabolites in rat urine and plasma after 3 months of anthocyanin supplementation.

Anthocyanins are polyphenols responsible for most red to purple colors in plants. Human consumption of these pigments is increasing because of their potential health benefits and use as natural colorants. With more than 600 different anthocyanins found in nature, the impact of chemical structure on their absorption and metabolism needs to be investigated.

Analysis of anthocyanins in rat intestinal contents--impact of anthocyanin chemical structure on fecal excretion.

Absorption of dietary anthocyanins is limited; however, fecal anthocyanin excretion has been rarely studied. We developed a method for extraction and analysis of fecal anthocyanins. Aqueous methanol (60%) maximized extraction efficiency (approximately 88%).

Effects of commercial anthocyanin-rich extracts on colonic cancer and nontumorigenic colonic cell growth.

Commercially prepared grape (Vitis vinifera), bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), and chokeberry (Aronia meloncarpa E.) anthocyanin-rich extracts (AREs) were investigated for their potential chemopreventive activity against colon cancer.

Rapid method for identification of chemopreventive compounds using multiplex RT-PCR for cyclooxygenase mRNA expression.

Inhibition of the expression of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme has been associated with prevention or reversal of cancer development in several organs. Development of, or screening for, selective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors is an approach for identifying chemopreventive agents. The aim of this project was to develop a rapid semi-quantitative multiplex RT-PCR for analysis of the expression of cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 genes relative to 18S, the housekeeping gene, in a 3-gene multiplex reaction.

Inhibition of colonic aberrant crypt foci by curcumin in rats is affected by age.

Curcumin has antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and chemopreventive activities. To determine whether aging affects the inhibition of colon carcinogenesis by curcumin, young (6 wk), mature (12 mo), and old (22 mo) F344 male rats were fed either AIN-93 containing 0.6% curcumin or AIN-93 control diet.

Anthocyanin-rich extract from Aronia meloncarpa E induces a cell cycle block in colon cancer but not normal colonic cells.

Anthocyanin-rich extracts, potent antioxidants and commercially available food coloring agents, have been reported to inhibit growth of various cancer cell lines. We investigated the effect of semipurified anthocyanin-rich extract from fruits of Aronia meloncarpa, on normal colon and colon cancer cell lines. A 24-h exposure to 50 mg monomeric anthocyanin/ml of Aronia extract resulted in 60% growth inhibition of human HT-29 colon cancer cells.