Safety evaluation of certain food additives - ipcs inchem

PAPRIKA EXTRACT 87
of capsanthin ranged from 0.10 to 0.29 μmol/l at 8 h after ingestion. In contrast, the
elevation of the plasma concentration of an acyclic hydrocarbon carotenoid,
lycopene, by a single ingestion of tomato soup (equivalent to 186.3 mmol lycopene)
in the same subjects was minimal (0.02–0.06 mmol/l). The areas under the plasma
concentration–time curves for capsanthin between 0 and 74 h and for lycopene
between 0 and 72 h were 4.68 ± 1.22 and 0.81 ± 0.17 (μmol·h)/l, respectively. The
half-lives were calculated to be 20.1 ± 1.3 h for capsanthin and 222 ± 15 h for
lycopene. It was concluded that the clearance of capsanthin is much faster than that
of lycopene, although capsanthin is transported into plasma lipoproteins in larger
amounts.
The bioavailability of carotenoids from a paprika oleoresin (zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin,
-carotene, capsanthin, capsorubin) was assessed in humans. After
overnight fasting, nine volunteers ingested a single dose of a paprika oleoresin
containing 6.4 mg zeaxanthin, 4.2 mg cryptoxanthin, 6.2 mg -carotene, 35.0 mg
capsanthin and 2.0 mg capsorubin. At different time points, the carotenoid pattern
in the chylomicron fraction of whole blood was analysed to evaluate carotenoid
absorption. From the major carotenoids present in the paprika oleoresin, only
zeaxanthin, -cryptoxanthin and -carotene were detectable in measurable
amounts. Although the xanthophylls in paprika oleoresin were mainly present as
mono- or diesters, only free zeaxanthin and -cryptoxanthin were found. The
bioavailability of the pepper-specific carotenoids capsanthin and capsorubin from
paprika oleoresin was found to be very low (Pérez-Gálvez et al., 2003).
(b) Rats
Donnerer et al. (1990) reported on a study in which rats were gavaged with
a mixture of capsaicinoids. These substances were extensively metabolized by a
variety of metabolic pathways, including 1) hydrolysis of the acid–amide bond and
deamination to form vanillylamine, 2) hydroxylation of the vanillyl ring, 3) oxidation
of the hydroxyl group in the ring and 4) oxidation of the terminal carbon in the sidechain.
Kawada & Iwai (1985) reported that within 48 h after oral administration of
dihydrocapsaicin to rats, 8.7% of the dose was excreted in urine and 10% in faeces.
The urine contained vanillylamine, vanillin, vanillyl alcohol and vanillic acid.
2.2 Toxicological studies
2.2.1 Short-term studies of toxicity
(a) Mice
The toxicity of red chilli was examined in male B6C3F1 mice fed a
commercial meal diet mixed with ground Capsicum annuum Linnaeus (L.) at levels
of 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 or 10% by weight (w/w). Mice were offered control or test
diets ad libitum starting at 6 weeks of age. Feed consumption was measured daily,
and individual body weights were recorded weekly for the 4-week feeding period.
General health, body weight and feed intake were apparently not adversely affected
at any level of pepper consumption. Histopathological evaluation revealed slight
glycogen depletion and anisocytosis of hepatocytes in the 10% group. However,