3β-Chlorsteroide – Ernährungsphysiologische und toxikologische Eigenschaften in Mäusen

3β-Chlorosteroids - Nutritional and Toxicological Effects in Mice 3-Chlorosteroids, e.g. 3-chlorocholest-5-ene and 3-chlorostigmast-5-ene, are formed from the corresponding sterols during the industrial hydrolysis of proteins for the production of flavor enhancers. In future, these compounds may also attract attention as environmental contaminants. A simple method for the fractionation and quantitative determination of 3β-chlorosteroids by C₁₈ reversed-phase HPLC has been developed and used for the analysis of these chlorinated steroids in protein hydrolysates. In addition, the biological effects of orally administrated 3β-chloro-steroids were tested in mice that were fed 3β-chlorocholest-5-ene and 3β-chlorostigmast-5-ene in doses of 1 and 10 mg/animal/day. The results of our study showed that body and organ weights as well as feed intake of the various experimental groups were not significantly different from those of the control group. The quantitative determination of 3β-chlorosteroids in organs and tissues revealed that intestinal absorption of 3β-chlorocholest-5-ene was higher than that of 3β-chlorostigmast-5-ene. Highest concentration of 3β-chlorocholest-5-ene was detected in liver and adipose tissue. Absorption and distribution in tissues as well as metabolism of both radioactive 3β-chloro-4-¹⁴C]cholest-5-ene and 3β-chloro-4-¹⁴C]stigmast-5-ene have also been studied in mice. At 2 hours after stomach incubation of the two substrates, large proportions of radioactivity had passed through the small intestine and were concentrated in the contents of caecum and colon. Only small proportions of radioactivity were detected outside the alimentary canal, predominantly in the liver. Histopathological examination of sections of organs and tissues such as stomach, duodenum, liver, kidneys, and spleen showed no indications of irreversible cell damages caused by 3β-chlorosteroids.