Safety evaluation of phosphodiesterase derived from Leptographium procerum.

5'-Phosphodiesterase is produced by fermentation of the fungus Leptographium procerum and is used to hydrolyse yeast RNA to produce flavour enhancers. To establish the safety in use of this enzyme preparation a number of studies have been performed: analysis for the potential of the production strain to produce toxic secondary metabolites, 28-days oral toxicity study of the preparation in the rat, bacterial mutation assay and in vitro mammalian chromosome aberration test in human lymphocytes. The production strain did not produce any secondary metabolites that may be of significance in food. Administration of dosage levels of 1250, 2500 and 5000 mg/kg body weight/day to rats for 28 day did not result in any toxicological significant changes. The enzyme preparation showed no mutagenic activity in the bacterial mutation assay and no clastogenic potency in an in vitro test. These results together with existing knowledge of the production organism and the chemical and microbiological characterisation of the enzyme preparation lead to the conclusion that the enzyme preparation containing 5'-phosphodiesterase activity from Leptographium procerum can safely be used for the production of flavour enhancers from bakers yeast at the anticipated intake levels for these uses.

Evaluation of a subchronic (13-week) oral toxicity study, preceded by an in utero exposure phase, with arachidonic acid oil derived from Mortierella alpina in rats.

Arachidonic acid oil (ARA-oil) derived from the fungus Mortierella alpina for use in infant nutrition was tested in a subchronic (13-week) oral toxicity study in rats, preceded by an in utero exposure phase. The ARA-oil was administered as admixture to the rodent diet at dose levels of 3000 ppm, 15,000 ppm and 75,000 ppm. An additional high-dose group received 75,000 ppm ARA-oil in combination with 55,000 ppm fish oil containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), at a ratio of ARA to DHA, comparable to the ratio in mother's milk of 2:1. The total levels of fat in each diet were kept constant by adding the appropriate amounts of corn oil. A concurrent control group received 130,000 ppm corn oil in the diet. An additional carrier control group was fed unsupplemented rodent diet. Administration of the test substances from 4 weeks prior to mating, throughout mating, gestation, lactation of parental (F(0)) animals and weaning of the F(1) pups did not affect fertility or reproductive performance, nor the general condition of pups, viability, sex ratio or number of pups. Pup weight gain in the ARA/DHA-oil group was lower than the controls administered equal amounts of corn oil. In the subsequent subchronic study survival, clinical signs, body weight gain and food consumption were not adversely affected by the test substances. Ophthalmoscopic examination did not reveal any treatment-related changes. There were no treatment-related effects observed up to dietary test substance concentrations of 15,000 ppm. The following statistically significant differences were found in the ARA high-dose group and /or in the ARA/DHA group compared to the corn oil control group: decreased alkaline phosphatase activity, decreases in cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids concentrations, increased creatinine and urea concentrations. Furthermore, these groups showed increased adrenal, spleen and liver weights. The incidence of hepatocellular vacuolation was increased in females of the ARA high-dose group and the ARA/DHA group. Oil droplets were observed in the mesenteric lymph nodes and in the intestinal villi in the ARA high-dose group and the ARA/DHA group. In addition, lipogranulomas were observed in the mesenteric lymph nodes in these groups. The observed changes in the high-dose groups may be effects of the high intake of high-fat levels, rather than specific effects of the ARA-oil. The no-observed-effect level in this study was placed at 15,000 ppm ARA-oil. This level is equivalent to approximately 970mg ARA-oil/kg body weight/day.

Preliminary safety assessment of an arachidonic acid-enriched oil derived from Mortierella alpina: summary of toxicological data.

An arachidonic acid-enriched oil (AA-oil), derived from Mortierella alpina was subjected to a programme of studies to establish its preliminary safety for use in infant nutrition. This was addressed at two levels: (1) HPLC analysis of metabolites produced by the production strains at various conditions, and (2) an evaluation of the toxicity of the final product. The following studies were carried out on the AA-oil: gene mutation assays in bacteria and mammalian cells in vitro; chromosome aberration assays both in vitro and in vivo and acute and subacute (4-wk) oral toxicity in the rat. No known mycotoxins were produced by the production strains under the conditions tested. Further, the oil did not show mutagenic or clastogenic activity and the acute oral toxicity, expressed as the LD50 value, exceeded 20 ml/kg body weight, that is, 18.2 g/kg body weight. In the subacute oral toxicity study the AA-oil was tested as such and in combination with a docosahexaenoic-enriched oil (DHA-oil) derived from fish oil at a ratio of 2:1 (AA:DHA). This was done because high dose levels of AA may result in adverse effects; DHA can compensate for these effects. Furthermore, human milk contains both AA and DHA at a ratio of AA:DHA of 2 to 3:1. No obvious signs of toxicity were observed. Levels of phospholipids and triglycerides tended to be decreased in the highest dose groups. The no-observed-adverse-effect level of the AA-oil in the subacute 4-wk toxicity study was placed at the highest levels tested, namely 3000 mg AA-oil/kg body weight/day as such and in the combination of 3000 mg AA-oil and 1500 mg DHA-oil/kg body weight/day. This corresponds to an intake of 1000 mg AA/kg body weight/day, which represents approximately 37 times the infant intake of AA in human milk.

Ozone-induced lung toxicity: mediated by ozonides?

In an in vitro study a comparison was made between the cytotoxicities of a model ozonide, methyl linoleate-9,10-ozonide (MLO), and a model peroxidative agent, cumene hydroperoxide (CumOOH), by measuring the effects of both compounds on the phagocytosing capacity of rat alveolar macrophages. Toxicity as well as detoxication characteristics of the ozonide were found to be similar to those of ozone: (1) vitamin E protected the alveolar macrophages in vitro against the ozonide, (2) glutathione (GSH) depletion enhanced the sensitivity of the cells towards the ozonide and (3) the ozonide did not enhance lipid peroxidation. This also suggests that GSH depletion, followed by lipid peroxidation, does not underlie the MLO toxicity. This was supported by the differences in protection provided by vitamin C, vitamin E and GSH. Supplementation of the macrophages with vitamin C resulted in a decrease in their sensitivity towards MLO and an increase in their sensitivity towards CumOOH. Following GSH depletion the sensitivity of the cells towards CumOOH had increased more than that towards MLO. Exposure to CumOOH led to a more extensive vitamin E depletion. The results of an in vivo study on the toxicity of MLO (in the rat) largely confirmed the findings of the in vitro study: partial contributions of vitamin E and the glutathione system to the protection against MLO.

Toxicity of methyl linoleate ozonide in the rat.

The in vivo toxicity of ozonides, possible intermediates in ozone-induced toxicity, was investigated. Methyl linoleate ozonide (MLO) (0.07 mmol/100 g body wt.), a model fatty acid ozonide, was administered to female Wistar rats either intravenously or intraperitoneally. After 24 h the rats were killed and the effects were examined. MLO was found to be toxic only after intravenous administration. The major effects were observed in the lungs. The lungs became enlarged from edema and showed severe hemorrhages. Further, total thiol was depleted in serum and lung tissue, accompanied with a significant decrease in activity of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and glutathione S-transferase. The vitamin E levels in serum and lung tissue were reduced. The malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in serum and lung tissue were elevated suggesting that in vivo oxidation had occurred. On intraperitoneal administration of MLO, no effects on enzyme activities, thiol and vitamin E content in lung tissue were observed. In serum, however, as on intravenous administration, an increase of the MDA levels and decreases of total thiol and vitamin E levels were found. In view of the route of administration it is to be expected that the ozonide is partly cleared by the liver, and the ozonide and its potentially toxic products are further detoxicated by vitamin E and thiols in serum before they reach the lung. The above data show that the main target organ for ozonides is the lung, and that the effects caused by MLO in vivo are in many respects similar to the effects found after acute ozone exposure. This supports the working hypothesis that ozonides may play a role in ozone-induced lung toxicity.

Molecular orbital study on the glutathione-dependent detoxication of ozonides.

The present paper describes a theoretical study on the mechanism underlying the reaction of cellular glutathione (GSH) with polyunsaturated fatty acid ozonides. The reaction can be catalyzed by glutathione S-transferases and leads to detoxication of the ozonides. Semi-empirical molecular orbital computer calculations suggest that the reaction of glutathione with ozonides involves a nucleophilic attack at one of the carbon atoms of the ozonide ring, instead of at one of the peroxidic oxygen atoms of the ozonide ring. This implies a mechanism different from that of the glutathione S-transferase-mediated reaction with hydroperoxides, previously proposed for the glutathione-dependent detoxication of fatty acid ozonides.

Comparative study on the toxicity of methyl linoleate-9,10-ozonide and cumene hydroperoxide to alveolar macrophages.

In the present study the in vitro toxicities of methyl linoleate-9,10-ozonide (MLO) and cumene hydroperoxide (CumOOH), a model peroxidative agent, are compared. This was carried out using the inhibition of alveolar macrophage phagocytosis as an assessment of in vitro toxicity. Both agents, MLO and CumOOH caused a dose-dependent decrease in the phagocytosing activity of alveolar macrophages isolated from rat lungs. MLO was found to be three times more toxic than CumOOH. Supplementation of macrophages with vitamin C resulted in a decrease of their sensitivity towards MLO and an increase of their sensitivity towards CumOOH, suggesting that different mechanisms underlie the toxic effects of the compounds concerned. This was supported by the data on GSH and vitamin E depletion. In both cases, depletion of the antioxidant was more extensive on exposure to CumOOH. In addition, following GSH depletion, the sensitivity of the macrophages towards CumOOH was more increased than towards MLO. Further, MLO was not able to enhance the peroxide formation from methyl linoleate (ML), whereas CumOOH initiated the peroxide formation of ML. The results of ESR spin trap experiments further supported that MLO-induced toxicity is independent of lipid peroxidation. From all this it is concluded that both mechanisms known to be of importance for peroxide-induced cell toxicity, i.e., depletion of cellular GSH levels and/or lipid peroxidation are not the main processes causing MLO toxicity in vitro.

Toxicity of ozone and nitrogen dioxide to alveolar macrophages: comparative study revealing differences in their mechanism of toxic action.

The toxicity of ozone and nitrogen dioxide is generally ascribed to their oxidative potential. In this study their toxic mechanism of action was compared using an intact cell model. Rat alveolar macrophages were exposed by means of gas diffusion through a Teflon film. In this in vitro system, ozone appeared to be 10 times more toxic than nitrogen dioxide. alpha-Tocopherol protected equally well against ozone and nitrogen dioxide. It was demonstrated that alpha-tocopherol provided its protection by its action as a radical scavenger and not by its stabilizing structural membrane effect, as (1) concentrations of alpha-tocopherol that already provided optimal protection against ozone and nitrogen dioxide did not influence the membrane fluidity of alveolar macrophages and (2) neither one of the structural alpha-tocopherol analogs tested (phytol and the methyl ether of alpha-tocopherol) could provide a protection against ozone or nitrogen dioxide comparable to the one provided by alpha-tocopherol. It was concluded that reactive intermediates scavenged by alpha-tocopherol are important in the toxic mechanism of both ozone and nitrogen dioxide induced cell damage. However, further results presented strongly confirmed that the kind of radicals and/or reactive intermediates, and thus the toxic reaction mechanism involved, must be different in ozone- and nitrogen dioxide-induced cell damage. This was concluded from the observations that showed that (1) vitamin C provided significantly better protection against nitrogen dioxide than against an equally toxic dose of ozone, (2) glutathione depletion affected the cellular sensitivity toward ozone to a significantly greater extent than the sensitivity towards nitrogen dioxide, and (3) the scavenging action of alpha-tocopherol was accompanied by a significantly greater reduction in its cellular level during nitrogen dioxide exposure than during exposure to ozone. One of the possibilities compatible with the results presented in this study might be that lipid (peroxyl) free radicals formed in a radical-mediated peroxidative pathway, resulting in a substantial breakdown of cellular alpha-tocopherol, are involved in nitrogen dioxide-induced cell damage, and that lipid ozonides, scavenged by alpha-tocopherol as well, are involved in ozone-induced cell damage.