Safety tests and antinutrient analyses of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) leaf

BACKGROUND: Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) leaves have a documented history of food use. However, previous safety and antinutrient studies are absent. The current investigation was conducted to assess the utility of noni leaves as food. RESULTS: No evidence of toxicity or differences in weight gain were observed in acute, subacute, and subchronic oral toxicity tests of ethanol–water (1:1 v/v) and hot‐water extracts of noni leaves in mice at doses of 2000, 200, and 20 mg kg^?1 body weight, respectively. Acute systemic anaphylaxis tests of the ethanol–water (4:1 v/v) and hot‐water extracts were negative. Further, leaf proteins were readily digested in simulated gastric fluid. Tannic acid concentrations in frozen and dried leaf were 1.6 and 25.8 g kg^?1, respectively. Phytic acid was not detected in the raw leaf (<1 g kg^?1). The average oxalic acid content was 1 g kg^?1 and was fairly uniform among 22 leaf samples from 11 islands throughout French Polynesia. Similarly, campesterol, stigmasterol, and β‐sitosterol content did not vary widely, suggesting low inter‐island content variability. CONCLUSIONS: The apparent lack of toxicity of the leaves and the hardiness of the plant make it ideal for further agricultural development, especially where sustained growth of other food crops is difficult. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

黑果枸杞色素的毒理学研究

目的:研究黑果枸杞色素作为食用色素使用的毒理学安全性。方法:利用小鼠急性毒性试验、Ames试验、骨髓细胞微核试验、小鼠精子畸变试验和30d喂养试验进行毒理学研究。结果:急性毒性试验表明,黑果枸杞色素的KM小鼠LD50大于24g/kgbw,说明该受试物属于无毒级物质。遗传毒性试验:Ames试验、骨髓细胞微核试验、小鼠精子畸变试验的结果皆为阴性,未显示出致突变性。而30d喂养试验表明,黑果枸杞色素在2.4、1.2、0.24g/kgbw剂量时,对动物的身体、脏器的生长发育以及血液生化指标等均无明显不良影响。结论:黑果枸杞色素具有较好的食用安全性,可以作为药食两用天然色素使用。     

细胞技术在食品毒理学毒性快速细胞技术在食品毒理学毒性快速筛选方面的应用研究

对食品中外源化合物毒性的考察是一项繁重而艰巨的工作,传统食品毒理学方法效率低、耗资较大,不能满足实际工作的需要,因此,建立简单、快速、可靠的快速筛选替代模型,一直是国际上讨论的课题。近年来,应用细胞技术对食品中的外源性化合物的毒性进行筛选和安全评价进展迅速,现就细胞技术在食品毒理学毒性快速筛选方面的应用做一总结。     

七类食品单核细胞增生性增李斯特菌污染状况调查

利用李斯特显色培养基对食品中单增李斯特菌进行分离纯化后,提取基因组DNA,用PCR技术扩增hlyA基因特异性350bp的片段和iap基因特异性1500bp的片段,用此方法对七类食品进行检测。结果表明,冬春夏三季采集的62、60、62份样品中,分别检出单增李斯特菌3株、3株、10株,污染率分别为4.84%、5%、16.13%。夏季单增李斯特菌的污染情况比冬季和春季严重,其中蔬菜和牛奶中未检出单增李斯特菌;PCR检测可用于单增李斯特菌快速、特异、敏感检测。     

Screening of Chinese medicinal herbs for bioactivity against Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)

Extracts of 40 species of Chinese medicinal herb from 32 different botanical families were screened for contact, fumigant and feeding-deterrent activities against the two stored-grain insects Sitophilus zeamais and Tribolium castaneum. Thirty Chinese medicinal herbs exhibited insecticidal or feeding-deterrent activities against the two species of insects. Extracts of Artemisia argyi, Dictamnus dasycarpus, Evodia rutaecarpa, Litsea cubeba, Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis, Polygonum aviculare, Rhododendron molle, Sophora flavescens, Stemona sessilifolia, Tripterygium wilfordii, and Torreya grandis were most active.     

Biochemical mechanisms conferring cross-resistance to fumigant toxicities of essential oils in a chlorpyrifos-methyl resistant strain of Oryzaephilus surinamensis L. (Coleoptera: Silvanidae)

The fumigant toxicities of lavender and ylang-ylang essential oils were tested against a chlorpyrifos-methyl resistant strain (QVOS102) and an insecticide-susceptible reference strain (VOS48) of the saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis L. (Coleoptera: Silvanidae). The resistant strain showed 1.3- and 1.6-fold higher tolerance against lavender and ylang-ylang fumigation toxicity, respectively, relative to the susceptible strain. LT₅₀ values calculated as the time to attain 50% mortality of tested insects during fumigation were determined at two different concentrations. At 15 μl/l of air, QVOS102 had 2.9- and 1.4-fold higher LT₅₀ values for lavender and ylang-ylang fumigation toxicity, respectively, than VOS48. At 200 μl/l air, QVOS102 had 6.4- and 2.9-fold higher LT₅₀ values for lavender and ylang-ylang fumigation toxicity, respectively, than VOS48. Piperonyl butoxide, a potential inhibitor of cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase, increased fumigant toxicities of the two essential oils against QVOS102. The enhanced tolerance for the essential oil may have resulted from the enhancement of detoxifying enzymes associated with insecticide resistance.     

Fumigant toxicity of three essential oils on the eggs of Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

Fumigant toxicity of the essential oils from Lavandula hybrida, Rosmarinus officinalis and Eucalyptus globulus against the eggs of Acanthoscelides obtectus was assessed. The essential oil vapours were toxic to eggs with LC₅₀ values ranging between 1.3 and 35.1 μl/l air, depending on egg age and the essential oil. In all cases, the young eggs (3-day old) were more tolerant to essential oil vapours than the older ones (4-day old). Apart from the inhibition of hatching, the exposure of eggs to essential oil vapours increased the subsequent mortality of hatched larvae. The influence of length of exposure to essential oil vapours on egg hatchability was also significant.     

含盐量对亚硫酸盐渍土抗剪强度影响的试验

为探讨含盐量对盐渍土抗剪强度的影响,该研究对采自于青海柴达木盆地大柴旦盐湖地区的盐渍土进行了洗盐试验以获得素土试样;根据该区盐渍土类型及盐渍化程度,在洗盐后土体中分别加入不等量的无水硫酸钠(Na2SO4),以获得不同含盐量的人工配制硫酸盐渍土,并对上述不同含盐量的人工配制硫酸盐渍土开展室内直接剪切试验。试验结果表明,洗盐试验后土体中的易溶盐离子含量及pH值均显著低于洗盐前盐渍土;当土体密度和含水量分别为1.41 g/cm³和25.68%时,洗盐后土体粘聚力c值和内摩擦角φ值分别为14.8 kPa和26.5°,均高于洗盐前盐渍土的粘聚力值(6.7 kPa)和内摩擦角值(24.6°);不同含盐量梯度条件下的人工配制硫酸盐渍土的粘聚力和内摩擦角,随土体含盐量增加均表现出先减小后增加的变化特征。当含盐量由0.74%增至5.17%时,人工配制硫酸盐渍土粘聚力c值和内摩擦角φ值均呈逐渐减小的变化规律,当土体含盐量由5.17%增至14.17%时,人工配制硫酸盐渍土粘聚力c值和内摩擦角φ值均表现出增加的变化规律,且当含盐量为5.17%时,其粘聚力c值和内摩擦角φ值分别为8.3 kPa和26.1°,均为最小值,即该值对应的含盐量值即为人工配制硫酸盐渍土的含盐量阈值。本项研究成果对于进一步探讨含盐量变化对盐渍土抗剪强度影响,及含盐量变化与盐渍土粘聚力和内摩擦角之间的关系等方面具有理论研究价值和实际意义。     

Engineered Nanoparticles as Potential Food Contaminants and Their Toxicity to Caco‐2 Cells

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), such as metallic or metallic oxide nanoparticles (NPs), have gained much attention in recent years. Increasing use of ENPs in various areas may lead to the release of ENPs into the environment and cause the contamination of agricultural and food products by ENPs. In this study, we selected two important ENPs (zinc oxide [ZnO] and silver [Ag] NPs) as potential food contaminants and investigated their toxicity via an in vitro model using Caco‐2 cells. The physical properties of ENPs and their effects on Caco‐2 cells were characterized by electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopic (EDS) techniques. Results demonstrate that a significant inhibition of cell viability was observed after a 24‐h of exposure of Caco‐2 cells to 3‐, 6‐, and 12‐mM ZnO NPs or 0.5‐, 1.5‐, and 3‐mM Ag NPs. The noticeable changes of cells include the alteration in cell shape, abnormal nuclear structure, membrane blebbing, and cytoplasmic deterioration. The toxicity of ZnO NPs, but not that of Ag NPs after exposure to simulated gastric fluid, significantly decreased. Scanning transmission electron microscopy shows that ZnO and Ag NPs penetrated the membrane of Caco‐2 cells. EDS results also confirm the presence of NPs in the cytoplasm of the cells. This study demonstrates that ZnO and Ag NPs have cytotoxic effects and can inhibit the growth of Caco‐2 cells.     

抗氧化剂维生素E及其代谢物的毒理损伤

从维生素E及其在抗氧化历程中产生的代谢物的分子结构与功能入手,综述了新近发现的维生素E及其代谢物的毒理损伤,包括与心肌梗塞、高血压及肝硬化等疾病的产生关系密切.因此,在使用抗氧化剂时,应注意:①重新建立一套安全评估方案;②从分子水平更详尽地了解抗氧化剂的动力学变化和分子转化,以此对其利弊作出正确评估;③从生物动力学与生物效果模型中找出最佳食用剂量.