Safety assessment of a nematode-resistant tomato by a simple, short-term rat feeding study.

A simple, 11-week, weanling rat feeding period was used to determine general safety of a nematode-resistant tomato cultivar. Comparison of growth, mean blood hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell count, and total white blood cell count of Fisher rats fed a complete diet containing 40% "VFN 8" tomato (nematode-resistant) cultivar to two other groups of rats, fed either a "New Yorker" tomato (nematode-susceptible) or a control diet, showed normal and similar results. Although the expressed product of the Mi gene necessary for nematode resistance is unknown, this short, comparative study of a whole plant food shows no unexpected toxicants influencing animal growth and hematology.

Bioactive organosulfur phytochemicals in Brassica oleracea vegetables--a review.

Sulfur-containing phytochemicals of two different kinds are present in all Brassica oleracea (Cruciferae) vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, etc.). They are glucosinolates (previously called thioglucosides) and S-methyl cysteine sulfoxide.

Blood cholinesterase in rats fed an insect resistance apple clone containing a natural cholinesterase inhibitor.

A crab apple clone (Malus brevipes 1021), highly resistant to the apple maggot, is being used in breeding programs developing commercial apple cultivars. This study has discovered that this crab apple contains a natural cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitor that caused a 17.5% in vitro inhibition of rat blood ChE activity.

Effect of S-methyl cysteine sulphoxide and its metabolite methyl methane thiosulphinate, both occurring naturally in Brassica vegetables, on mouse genotoxicity.

S-methyl cysteine sulphoxide (SMCSO) and its metabolite methyl methane thiosulphinate (MMTSO), both naturally occurring compounds present in Brassica vegetables, were investigated for their putative ability to inhibit benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)-induced genotoxicity in ICR mice. The mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay was used as an indicator of in vivo genotoxicity. Doses of 0.

Inhibition of benzo[a]pyrene-induced bone marrow micronuclei formation by diallyl thioethers in mice.

Diallyl thioethers (DATEs), naturally occurring compounds present in garlic, were investigated for their putative ability to inhibit benzo[a]pyrene-induced genotoxicity in ICR and C3H strains of mice. The mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay was used as an indicator of in vivo genotoxicity. A dose of 0.