Safety of dietary nitrate supplementation by calcium nitrate for finishing pigs as measured by methemoglobin and serum and tissue nitrate levels.

Nitrate supplementation has been studied as a beneficial constituent of the human diet, particularly for its effects on vascular health through vasodilation. Recent studies have focused on the benefits of nitrate supplementation in animals, especially in swine. Up to 1,200 mg/kg dietary nitrate supplementation from Ca nitrate was beneficial in farrowing and lactating sows and their offspring, and up to 6,000 mg/kg supplemental nitrate showed no adverse health effects in sows or piglets.

Acute and sub-chronic oral toxicity studies of erythritol in Beagle dogs.

Polyols, also known as sugar alcohols, are widely used in the formulation of tooth-friendly and reduced-calorie foods. Considering the significant health benefits of polyols in products formulated for human use, there is increased interest in evaluating potential uses in companion animal applications. Erythritol and xylitol are two polyols which are currently widely used in products ranging from reduced-sugar foods to personal care and cosmetics.

A 90-day oral (dietary) toxicity and mass balance study of corn starch fiber in Sprague Dawley rats.

The potential toxicity of corn starch fiber was assessed and compared to polydextrose, a commonly used bulking agent with a long history of safe use in the food supply. Groups of male and female Crl:CD(SD) rats were fed 0 (control), 1,000, 3,000, or 10,000 mg/kg-bw/day corn starch fiber in the diet for 90 days. The polydextrose reference article was offered on a comparable regimen at 10,000 mg/kg-bw/day.

Evaluation of the gastrointestinal tolerability of corn starch fiber, a novel dietary fiber, in two independent randomized, double-blind, crossover studies in healthy men and women.

Two independent clinical studies were conducted to compare the gastrointestinal (GI) tolerability of corn starch fiber, a novel dietary fiber, at up to 50 g/day (single-dose study) or 90 g/day (multiple-serving study) with a negative control (no fiber) and a positive control (50 or 90 g polydextrose, for single- and multiple-serving studies, respectively) in generally healthy study volunteers. Flatulence and borborygmus were the primary symptoms reported at the higher doses of corn starch fiber and for the positive control interventions. Bowel movements were increased over 48 h with corn starch fiber at 90 g.

A combined dietary chronic toxicity and two-year carcinogenicity study of (2R,4R)-monatin salt in Sprague-Dawley rats.

In a combined chronic toxicity/carcinogenicity study, groups of Crl:CD(SD) rats were fed 0 (2 control groups), 5000, 20,000, or 40,000 ppm (2R,4R)-monatin salt (hereafter "R,R-monatin") in the diet for up to one year in the chronic toxicity phase and up to two years in the carcinogenicity phase. There were no adverse effects on survival, incidence of palpable masses, neoplasms, organ weights, or ophthalmic examinations. The only notable effect was statistically significantly lower mean body weights and body weight gains in all treated groups generally throughout the study, which were most likely a result of caloric dilution of the test diets.

Detection of ECG effects of (2R,4R)-monatin, a sweet flavored isomer of a component first identified in the root bark of the Sclerochitin ilicifolius plant.

Enzymatically-synthesized (2R,4R)-monatin has, due to its pure sweet taste, been evaluated for potential use in foods. Non-clinical studies have shown that (2R,4R)-monatin is well tolerated at high dietary concentrations, is not genotoxic/mutagenic, carcinogenic, or overtly toxic. In a pharmacokinetic and metabolism study involving 12 healthy males, consumption of a single oral dose (2 mg/kg) of (2R,4R)-monatin resulted in a small reduction of heart rate and prolongation of the QTcF interval of 20-24 ms, corresponding to the time of peak plasma levels (t(max)).

A two-year dietary carcinogenicity study of (2R,4R)-monatin salt in mice.

Groups of Crl:CD-1 (ICR) mice (60/group/sex) were fed 0 (2 control groups), 5000, 20,000, or 40,000 ppm of enzymatically sourced (2R,4R)-monatin salt ("R,R-monatin") in the diet for up to two years. There were no adverse effects on survival, incidence of palpable masses and tumors, feed consumption, hematology or serum chemistry parameters, organ weights, or ophthalmic, macroscopic, and microscopic examinations. The only notable effect was statistically significantly lower mean body weights and body weight gains in all treated groups, which generally occurred throughout the study and were most likely a result of caloric dilution of the test diets and not considered adverse.

A dietary two-generation reproductive toxicity study of (2R,4R)-monatin salt in Crl:CD(SD) rats.

(2R,4R)-Monatin salt [sodium/potassium 2R,4R-2-amino-4-carboxy-4-hydroxy-5-(3-indolyl) pentanoate] was fed at 5000, 15,000, or 35,000 ppm to Crl:CD(SD) rats over two generations. Reduced body weights were observed at all dose levels. Sustained effect on body weight gain at 35,000 ppm in the F0 and F1 parental animals was associated with lower feed efficiency, soft stool, and slightly lower numbers of implantation sites.

A 90-day dietary study of a (2R,4R)-monatin salt in Beagle dogs.

(2R,4R)-Monatin salt (Na/K) [sodium/potassium (2R,4R)-2-amino-4-carboxy-4-hydroxy-5-(3-indolyl) pentanoate, hereafter "R,R-monatin"] was administered in the diets of groups of Beagle dogs (4/sex/group) at concentrations of 0 (basal diet), 5000, 20,000, or 35,000 ppm for 13 weeks. There were no effects on survival, clinical observations, body weight and body weight gain, feed consumption and feed efficiency, functional observational battery, ophthalmic examination, and electrocardiographic evaluation. No adverse effects on hematology, serum chemistry, and urinalysis parameters were reported.

Plasma Pharmacokinetics and Routes of Excretion of [14C]-Labeled Arruva, a High-Potency Sweetener, Following Oral Administration to Beagle Dogs.

[C]-Labeled arruva [sodium/potassium (2R,4R)-2-amino-4-carboxy-4-hydroxy-5-(3-indolyl) pentanoate] was administered as a single gavage dose (10 mg/kg bw) to male and female Beagle dogs and 1 bile duct-cannulated male. The mean peak arruva plasma concentration equivalent of 1.2 µg/g occurred at first sampling time point of 1 hour postdosing.

Mutagenicity and genotoxicity studies of arruva, an R,R-monatin salt isomer.

Arruva, the R,R-isomer of monatin (sodium/potassium 2R,4R-2-amino-4-carboxy-4-hydroxy-5-(3-indolyl) pentanoate), an intense sweetener originally identified in root bark of the South African shrub Schlerochitin ilicifolius, was examined for its mutagenic and genotoxic potential via bacterial reverse mutation, mouse lymphoma and in vivo mouse micronucleus assays, all accomplished in the presence and absence of S9 metabolic activation. In the bacterial reverse mutation assay, arruva was determined to not cause reverse mutations in four Salmonella typhimurium strains and one Escherichia coli strain at concentrations up-cells did not exhibit concentration-related increases in mutant frequency at test concentrations up to 3200μg/ml. In the in vivo micronucleus test, arruva was administered to male mice via single gavage doses at 500, 1000 or 2000mg/kg bw.

Effect of structural modifications on 3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2,4-thiazolidinedione-induced hepatotoxicity in Fischer 344 rats.

Glitazones, used for type II diabetes, have been associated with liver damage in humans. A structural feature known as a 2,4-thiazolidinedione (TZD) ring may contribute to this toxicity. TZD rings are of interest since continued human exposure via the glitazones and various prototype drugs is possible.

Safety assessment of kola nut extract as a food ingredient.

Kola nut extract is used in the food industry as a flavoring ingredient. Kola nut extract is derived from the seeds of primarily two tropical Cola species (Cola nitida (Vent.) Schott et Endl.

Role of biotransformation in 3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2,4-thiazolidinedione-induced hepatotoxicity in Fischer 344 rats.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated metabolism in the thiazolidinedione (TZD) ring may contribute to the hepatotoxicity of the insulin-sensitizing agents such as troglitazone. We were interested in determining if biotransformation could also be a factor in the liver damage associated with another TZD ring containing compound, 3-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)-2,4-thiazolidinedione (DCPT). Therefore, hepatotoxic doses of DCPT (0.