title: 28-Day oral toxicity study in rats with high purity barley beta-glucan (Glucagel).
abstract: Beta-glucans are glucose polymers present in cereal grains, particularly barley and oat. Consumption of these grains or concentrated beta-glucan preparations has been shown to lower blood cholesterol. The present study was conducted to assess the safety of a high purity (>75%) barley beta-glucan (Glucagel). The product was fed to Wistar rats (5/sex/group) at dietary levels of 0% (control), 1%, 5% and 10% for 28 days. Clinical and neurobehavioural observations, growth, feed and water consumption, ophthalmoscopy, haematology, clinical chemistry, urinalysis, organ weights, necropsy and histopathological examination revealed no adverse effects of Glucagel. High-dose males exhibited lower plasma cholesterol and phospholipids levels and a higher plasma urea level. These slight changes were considered of no toxicological significance. Full and empty caecum weights were increased in mid- and high-dose males. This caecal enlargement was a physiological response to the consumption of a high amount of indigestible carbohydrate and considered of no toxicological concern. In conclusion, feeding Glucagel at dietary levels up to 10% for 28 days was tolerated without any signs of toxicity. This dietary level was equivalent to 7.7 g Glucagel (5.8 g beta-glucan)/kg body weight/day in male rats and 7.8 g Glucagel (5.9 g beta-glucan)/kg body weight/day in female rats.
authors.affiliation: TNO Quality of Life, Utrechtseweg 48, 3704 HE Zeist, The Netherlands. diana.jonker@tno.nl
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jonker
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hasselwander
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tervilä-Wilo
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Tenning
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004032:Diet; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D001467:Hordeum / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016482:Urinalysis; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D047071:beta-Glucans