Safety evaluation of fibermalt.

Fibermalt is a new soluble fiber food ingredient produced with the use of an alternansucrase enzyme from Leuconostoc mesenteroides expressed in a non-pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli. Fibermalt is predominantly composed of indigestible maltose alternan oligosaccharides (≥ 80%). Fibermalt was non-mutagenic in a bacterial reverse mutation test. In a 13-week dietary rat study, fibermalt was administered at 0 (control), 50,000, 100,000 or 150,000 ppm. Statistically significant increases in food consumption were generally observed throughout the study in males receiving 100,000 or 150,000 ppm and in females receiving 100,000 ppm. However, there was no effect of fibermalt on mean body weight, body weight gain or food efficiency. All animals survived to scheduled termination and no adverse clinical signs were attributed to administration of fibermalt. There were no toxicologically relevant changes in hematology, clinical chemistry or urinalysis parameters or organ weights in males or females ingesting any concentration of fibermalt. Any macroscopic or microscopic findings were considered incidental, of normal variation and/or of minimal magnitude for test substance association. Based on these results, fibermalt is not mutagenic as evaluated in a bacterial reverse mutation test and has an oral subchronic (13-week) no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) of 150,000 ppm in rats.

The safety of PolyGlycopleX (PGX) as shown in a 90-day rodent feeding study.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to evaluate the safety of PolyGlycopleX (PGX), a novel viscous dietary polysaccharide (fiber), when administered to Sprague Dawley(R) rats in the diet for 90 days. METHODS: Groups of ten male and ten female rats each consumed PGX mixed in the diet at levels of 0, 1.25, 2.5 or 5.0% for 90 days, then evaluated for toxicological effects on parameters that included neuromotor activity, body weight, clinical chemistry, urinalysis, hematology, and histopathology. RESULTS: Mean body weight, mean feed consumption and food efficiency in the treated groups were generally comparable to controls for both male and female rats. No changes were noted in neuromotor behavior, and histopathological analysis revealed no significant changes between treated and control animals. There were no differences in mean organ weight, organ-to-body weight or organ-to-brain weight values between controls and treated animals. Decreased red blood cell count occurred in the high dose males and increases in aspartate and alanine aminotransferase enzyme levels and triglycerides, while significant decreases in serum sodium, potassium and chloride concentrations were observed in the females fed 5.0% PGX. However, the decreased mineral concentrations may be the result of significantly increased urinary volume in both males and females at the high dose, with a concomitant decrease in urinary specific gravity (males and females) and protein concentration (females). These results were within historical control values, did not correlate with any histopathological changes, and were not considered adverse. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for PGX at 5.0% of the diet, corresponding to an average daily intake of 3219 and 3799 mg/kg bw/day in male and female rats, respectively.