Safety evaluation of certain food additives - ipcs inchem

510 FURAN-SUBSTITUTED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
(f) 4-(2-Furyl)-3-buten-2-one (No. 1511)
Groups of five male and five female Fischer 344 rats were maintained on
diets that provided 4-(2-furyl)-3-buten-2-one at doses of 0 (control) or an estimated
30 mg/kg bw per day for 14 days. Animals were examined for viability twice daily.
Body weights were recorded on days 1, 6 and 14 of the study, and food consumption
was measured on days 7 and 14. Necropsy was performed on each of the animals
at the end of the study. Kidney and liver weights were recorded prior to fixation in
10% buffered formalin for histological examination. All macroscopic lesions were
also fixed for histological examination.
Treatment with 4-(2-furyl)-3-buten-2-one resulted in no adverse clinical
effects. A slight increase in food consumption was noted in females; however, no
such increase was observed with the males, and there was no corresponding
increase in weight gain. Absolute and relative liver weights for females and relative
liver weights for males fed a diet containing 4-(2-furyl)-3-buten-2-one were
increased compared with controls by 13%, 15% and 8%, respectively; however, no
histological findings accompanied these increases. The authors stated that, when
compared with control animals of the same strain from the same vendor used in
other studies under identical conditions, the absolute liver weights of the control
animals in this study were lower than usual. The authors concluded that dietary
administration of 4-(2-furyl)-3-buten-2-one produced no evidence of toxic effects
under the conditions of this study (Gill & Van Miller, 1987).
(g) 3-Acetyl-2,5-dimethylfuran (No. 1506) and furfuryl methyl ether
(No. 1520)
Groups of five male and five female Fischer 344 rats were maintained on
diets estimated to provide 3-acetyl-2,5-dimethylfuran at 0 (control) or 10 mg/kg bw
per day or furfuryl methyl ether at 0 (control) or 27 mg/kg bw per day for 14 days.
Animals were examined for viability twice daily. Body weights were recorded on
days 1, 6 and 14 of the study, and food consumption was measured on days 7 and
14. Necropsy was performed on each of the animals at the end of the study. Kidney
and liver weights were recorded prior to fixation in 10% buffered formalin for
histological examination. All macroscopic lesions were also fixed for histological
examination. No statistically significant differences in any of the parameters tested
were noted between treated and control animals. The authors concluded that dietary
administration of 3-acetyl-2,5-dimethylfuran or furfuryl methyl ether produced no
evidence of toxic effects under the conditions of this study (Van Miller & Weaver,
1987).
(h) O-Ethyl S-(2-furylmethyl)thiocarbonate (No. 1526)
Wistar rats (three per sex per dose) were administered doses of 0 (control),
2, 8 or 32 mg O-ethyl S-(2-furylmethyl)thiocarbonate (99% pure)/kg bw per day by
gavage for 28 days in a study conducted according to Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines. Observations for mortality were
made twice daily, and clinical signs were recorded once daily. Body weights and
food consumption were recorded weekly. All animals surviving to the end of the