Toxicologic evaluation of DHA-rich algal oil: Genotoxicity, acute and subchronic toxicity in rats.
DHA-rich algal oil ONC-T18, tested in a battery of in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity tests, did not show mutagenic or genotoxic potential. The acute oral LD50 in rats has been estimated to be greater than 5000 mg/kg of body weight. In a 90-day subchronic dietary study, administration of DHA-rich algal oil at concentrations of 0, 10,000, 25,000, and 50,000 ppm in the diet for 13 weeks did not produce any significant toxicologic manifestations. The algal oil test article was well tolerated as evidenced by the absence of major treatment-related changes in the general condition and appearance of the rats, neurobehavioral endpoints, growth, feed and water intake, ophthalmoscopic examinations, routine hematology and clinical chemistry parameters, urinalysis, or necropsy findings. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) was the highest level fed of 50,000 ppm which is equivalent to 3,305 and 3,679 mg/kg bw/day, for male and female rats, respectively. The studies were conducted as part of an investigation to examine the safety of DHA-rich algal oil. The results confirm that it possesses a toxicity profile similar to other currently marketed algal oils and support the safety of DHA-rich algal oil for its proposed use in food.
Exponent, Inc., Center for Chemical Regulation and Food Safety, 4580 Weaver Parkway, Suite 100, Warrenville, IL 60555, United States. schmitt@exponent.com
D
D
Schmitt
N
N
Tran
J
J
Peach
M
M
Bauter
P
P
Marone
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D048629:Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective; D009821:Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
D009821:Oils; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids