Guidance for the safety assessment of botanicals and botanical preparations for use in food and food supplements.

There is a growing interest by both consumers and industry for the development of food products with 'functional' properties, or health benefits. These products may take the form of dietary supplements or of foods. The health benefits are given by particular ingredients, and in many cases these are derived from botanicals. The variety of plants providing these functions is large, ranging from staple food sources such as cereals, fruits and vegetables, to herbals as used in traditional medicine. The food or ingredient conferring health properties may consist of the plants themselves, extracts thereof, or more purified components. The scientific literature is abundant with articles not only on the beneficial properties, but also on possible adverse health effects of plants and their components. The present report discusses the data required to determine the safe use of these types of ingredients, and provides advice on the development of risk assessment strategies consistent with due diligence under existing food regulations. Product specifications, composition and characterisation of standardised and authentic materials, documented history of use and comparison to existing products (taking into account the effect of industrial processing), description of the intended use and consequent exposure are highlighted as key background information on which to base a risk evaluation. The extent of experimental investigation required, such as in vitro, animal, and/or human studies, depends on the adequacy of this information. A decision tree is presented as an aid to determine the extent of data requirements based on product comparison. The ultimate safety in use depends on the establishment of an adequate safety margin between expected exposure and identified potential hazards. Health hazards may arise from inherent toxicities or contaminants of the plant materials, including the mechanism of the intended beneficial effect. A lower safety margin may therefore be expected than for food ingredients or additives where no physiological effects are intended. In rare cases, post launch monitoring programmes may be envisaged to confirm expected exposures and adequacy of the safety margin. This guidance document was elaborated by an expert group of the Natural Toxin Task Force of the European Branch of the International Life Sciences Institute--ILSI Europe and discussed with a wider audience of scientists at a workshop held on 13-15 May 2002 in Marseille, France.

Cyclamate intake and cyclohexylamine excretion are not related to male fertility in humans.

Cyclamate and its metabolite cyclohexylamine affect male fertility in high dose animal studies, but this affect has not been investigated in epidemiological studies. This paper reports the first epidemiological study designed to investigate the possibility of a relationship between cyclamate and cyclohexylamine and male fertility in humans, in which 405 cases of clinically defined infertility in men and 379 controls were surveyed. Semen evaluation, urine analysis for cyclamate and cyclohexylamine and dietary questionnaires were compared between cases and controls. No evidence was found of a significant association between cyclamate intake and male infertility; neither high cyclamate nor high cyclohexylamine excretion were associated with elevated risk. The lack of association remained after adjusting by age, area of residence, education, total energy intake and other variables. No significant correlations were observed between cyclamate intake, metabolism or excretion, and sperm count and motility. The results demonstrate no effect of cyclamate or cyclohexylamine on male fertility at the present levels of cyclamate consumption.

The pharmacokinetics of nicotinamide in humans and rodents.

Nicotinamide, a derivative of the B vitamin niacin, is currently under trial for the prevention of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus after success in the NOD mouse. However, the dose, route of administration, and formulation of nicotinamide given to humans is quite different from those used successfully in animals, and the aim of this study was to investigate the plasma pharmacokinetics of oral nicotinamide in humans in two doses and in two different formulations (standard and the long-acting Enduramide). There were no significant differences in the kinetics of the low dose of standard nicotinamide (2.5 mg/kg) and low-dose Enduramide (6.7 mg/kg) in young adult men. Nonlinear kinetics were found with both formulations at higher doses, e.g., a 10-fold increase in the dose of the standard nicotinamide produced a 62-fold increase in the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC). The high dose of standard nicotinamide (25 mg/kg body wt) produced a mean peak plasma concentration 75% higher than that achieved with the sustained release nicotinamide preparation given in a dose similar to that currently used in prevention trials (2 g identical to 26.6 mg/kg body wt for a 75-kg subject). The AUC was also significantly greater with the standard formulation, indicating a higher bioavailability. Long-term plasma levels for high doses of both formulations were modeled from the single-dose kinetics by computer program. The AUC for standard nicotinamide was 1.7 times higher than that for Enduramide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The teratogenic metabolites of vitamin A in women following supplements and liver.

Ten healthy female volunteers were given 5 doses of retinol as the palmitate; 50 and 150 mg retinol as an oral supplement, 50 and 150 mg as fried calf liver (50 and 150 g) and 3, 9 or 30 mg by intra-muscular injection. Plasma concentrations of retinyl palmitate were higher after 50 mg retinol given as an oral supplement compared with 50 mg as liver; there was no significant difference between the 150 mg doses. Plasma concentrations of retinol showed only small increases. The peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) of all-transretinoic acid, the principal teratogenic metabolite of retinol, and the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) were up to 20-times higher after supplements compared to the same dose as liver. Plasma concentrations of all-trans-4-oxo-retinoic acid, 13-cis-retinoic acid and 13-cis-4-oxo-retinoic acid showed smaller differences between supplements and liver. Intra-muscular administration of 30 mg retinol gave retinyl palmitate concentrations similar to those found after the oral doses but did not increase circulating concentrations of the acid metabolites. Based on the formation of all-trans-retinoic acid, liver and supplements are not of equivalent teratogenic potential. Advice to pregnant women on the consumption of liver based on the reported teratogenicity of vitamin A supplements should be reconsidered.

Quercetin, an in vitro inhibitor of CYP3A, does not contribute to the interaction between nifedipine and grapefruit juice.

Quercetin, a flavonoid present in various fruits, is a potent in vitro inhibitor of CYP3A. Its role in the reported interaction between grapefruit juice and nifedipine has been determined in vivo in humans. Eight healthy volunteers were given in random order 10 mg nifedipine orally, either alone or with 200 ml double strength grapefruit juice, or with 400 mg quercetin. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) for nifedipine with grapefruit juice (mean 320 ng ml(-1) h) was increased significantly (P < 0.01) compared with the AUC when nifedipine was given alone (mean 218 ng ml(-1) h). The time to peak plasma concentration for nifedipine with grapefruit juice (1.5 h) was also increased (P < 0.05) compared with control (0.5 h) suggesting delayed absorption. Although quercetin delayed the time to peak nifedipine concentration (1.3 h) it did not alter the AUC of either the parent drug (mean 209 ng ml(-1) h) or its first-pass metabolite. The results suggest that quercetin does not contribute to the effects of grapefruit juice (which contains <10 mg of quercetin 200 ml(-1)) on the metabolism of nifedipine. Oral doses of quercetin, similar to those possible from the ingestion of other fruits such as strawberries, do not produce in vivo inhibition of CYP3A mediated metabolism of nifedipine.

Fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry of sulphated oligosaccharides from ovine lutropin.

The positive- and negative-ion f.a.b.-mass spectra and the fragmentation of sulphated oligosaccharides derived from ovine lutropin are described. Negative-ion f.a.b.-m.s. of methylated derivatives offers a sensitive and rapid method for screening glycans for sulphation, for defining the location of sulphated residues, and for sequencing sulphated branches. Positive-ion f.a.b.-m.s. gives complementary data on non-sulphated branches in both complex and hybrid-type sulphated structures.

Slow release nifedipine plus atenolol in chronic stable angina pectoris.

1. The effects of adding slow release nifedipine in doses of 20 mg and 40 mg twice daily to atenolol therapy (50 mg twice daily) were assessed in 18 patients with chronic stable angina. 2. The addition of the lower dose of nifedipine to atenolol did not significantly alter the weekly consumption of glyceryl trinitrate or the mean number of anginal attacks as assessed by diary cards. However, 2 h after dosing there was a significant prolongation during stress testing in the time to onset of both 1 mm ST depression on the ECG (by 28%) and to angina (by 37%) compared with atenolol alone, but no benefit was apparent by 12 h after dosing. 3. At a dose of 40 mg twice daily, nifedipine significantly reduced glyceryl trinitrate consumption by 25% and the number of anginal attacks by 36%. The times to onset of ST depression and angina were increased by 37% and 55% respectively at 2 h and by 24% and 26% respectively 12 h after dosing. 4. Analysis of the frequency distribution of anginal attacks showed decreasing efficacy with time after administration of nifedipine. The overall results also suggest a relationship between efficacy and the plasma nifedipine concentration, with a mean 20% improvement in time to development of angina occurring at a nifedipine plasma concentration of approximately 30-40 ng ml-1. 5. In conclusion, the reduction of effort-related angina by nifedipine is related to its plasma concentration and the effective duration of action of the 20 mg slow release formulation is less than 12 h.

The metabolism of 14C-cyclohexylamine in mice and two strains of rat.

After administration of 14C-cyclohexylamine (35-500 mg/kg) to male mice and rats, 80% of the dose of 14C was excreted in the urine, mostly within the first 24 h after dosing. In Wistar rats, 7-9% of the 14C in the 0-24 h urine was present as cis-4-aminocyclohexanol, with a similar amount as the corresponding 3-isomers. In the DA rat, only 1-2% of the 14C, and in mouse less than 1% of the 14C was present in the urine as aminocyclohexanols; unchanged cyclohexylamine accounted for about 95% of the activity. The extent of metabolism was not affected by either dose or route of administration. The species differences in metabolism may be implicated in the differences in toxicity during chronic high-dose administration.

Imipramine--a possible alternative to current therapy for urinary incontinence in the elderly.

Imipramine was given orally at night to 10 elderly patients with urinary incontinence associated with spontaneous unstable detrusor contractions. The dose was increased for each patient up to a maximum of 150 mg. at night, or until continence was achieved or side effects occurred. Of the 10 patients 6 became continent. In 3 of the 6 patients who underwent repeat cystometry bladder capacity had increased (mean 105 cc), bladder pressure at capacity decreased (mean 18 cm. water) and urethral pressure increased (mean 30 cm. water). There was no correlation between plasma desmethylimipramine and dose, or clinical or urodynamic effect.