Safety evaluation of certain food additives - ipcs inchem

384 ALKOXY-SUBSTITUTED ALLYLBENZENES
Table 2. Results of studies for acute toxicity of methoxy- and methylenedioxysubstituted
allylbenzenes administered orally
No. Flavouring agent Species; sex LD50
(mg/kg bw)
2.2.2 Short-term studies of toxicity
The results of short-term studies of toxicity of methoxy-and methylenedioxysubstituted
allylbenzenes are summarized in Table 3.
(a) Nutmeg oil
Reference
1789 Estragole Mouse; NR 1250 Jenner et al. (1964)
1789 Estragole Rat; M, F 1820 Jenner et al. (1964)
1789 Estragole Rat; M, F 1820 Taylor et al. (1964)
1789 Estragole Rat; M 1230 Moreno (1972)
1790 Methyl eugenol Rat; M, F 1560 Jenner et al. (1964)
1790 Methyl eugenol Rat; NR 810 Keating (1972)
1790 Methyl eugenol Rat; NR 1560 Bär & Griepentrog (1967)
1790 Methyl eugenol Rat; M, F 1179 Beroza et al. (1975)
1792 Safrole Mouse; NR 2350 Jenner et al. (1964)
1792 Safrole Rat; M, F 1950 Jenner et al. (1964)
1792 Safrole Rat; NR 1950 Bär & Griepentrog (1967)
1792 Safrole Mouse; M, F 2350 Hagan et al. (1965)
1792 Safrole Rat; M, F 1950 Hagan et al. (1965)
F, female; M, male; NR, not reported.
(i) Rats
Nutmeg oil, composed of approximately 7% myristicin, 1.3% safrole and
>80% monoterpene hydrocarbons (- and -pinene and sabinene) (Mills, 1989),
was administered to groups of 10 male and 10 female Fischer 344 rats for 28 days.
The test material, which was administered daily at dose levels of 0 (control), 20, 100
or 500 mg/kg bw by gavage in corn oil (10 ml/kg), was calculated to provide an intake
of 0, 1.6, 8.3 or 41.5 mg alkoxy-substituted allylbenzenes/kg bw and 0, 16, 80 or
400 mg monoterpene hydrocarbons/kg bw. With the exception of one accidental
death at the highest dose, all animals survived to the scheduled sacrifice. Weekly
measurements of body weights revealed significantly decreased body weights in
males (days 22, 28 and 29) and females (day 29). Body weight gain was significantly
decreased for the 100 and 500 mg/kg bw per day groups of both sexes. Clinical
chemistry evaluation revealed increased serum phosphate and AST in the highdose
males and increased mean serum creatinine in all treated males. No significant