title: Embryotoxicity and teratogenicity study with erythritol in rats.
abstract: The embryotoxicity/teratogenicity of erythritol, a low-calorie polyol sugar substitute, was examined in Wistar Crl:(WI) WU BR rats. Erythritol was fed at dietary concentrations of 0, 2.5, 5, and 10% to groups of 32 female rats from Day 0 to 21 of gestation. The treatment was generally well tolerated and no mortality occurred in any group. Weight gain during gestation, food consumption, and food efficiency were similar in all groups except for a significantly reduced weight gain in the 10% erythritol group in Week 2 of gestation. Reproductive performance was not affected by the treatment but the fertility index was generally rather low (69% in both control and high-dose group). Examination of the fetuses for external, visceral, and skeletal alterations did not reveal any fetotoxic, embryotoxic, or teratogenic effects. The slightly lower maternal body weight in the high-dose group was interpreted as a trivial result of the consumption of a low-calorie test substance in high amounts. In conclusion, no adverse effects were observed at erythritol doses of up to about 6.6 g/kg body wt/day, i.e., the highest dose tested.
authors.affiliation: TNO-Nutrition and Food Research Institute, Zeist, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Smits-van Prooije
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Waalkens-Berendsen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bär
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000209:etiology*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004032:Diet; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000187:drug effects; D004896:Erythritol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents; D013723:Teratogens; D004896:Erythritol