title: Safety of a filtrate of fermented garambullo fruit: biotransformation and toxicity studies.
abstract: Betalains are important natural pigments for the food industry. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxicological and toxicokinetic effects of betalain pigments from a cactaceous fruit (garambullo) on male and female Wistar rats. The pigments did not cause death with any of the doses tested, up to 5 g/kg body weight. In the digestibility studies, there was a degradation of the pigment of 26-29% in the large intestine, 20-26% in the small intestine and 24-29% in the stomach. The pigments were eliminated in the urine as betalains. The pigments had no metabolic effect on the hepatocytes for up to 7 hours. Furthermore, there was no increase in the heart rate when the pigments were administered by oral intubation, up to a dose of 5 g/kg. The data suggest that garambullo fruit pigments do not cause acute toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Research and Graduate Studies in Food Science, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, México.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Reynoso
authors.forename: T V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Giner
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: de Mejia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050859:Betacyanins; D050858:Betalains; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004064:Digestive System / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007211:Indoles / Q000652:urine; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D050859:Betacyanins; D007211:Indoles; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D050858:Betalains; C020228:betanin