Metabolism of food toxicants: saccharin and aflatoxin B1, a contrast in metabolism and toxicity.

ABSTRACT

The artificial sweetener, saccharin, and the secondary mold product, aflatoxin B1, are present in many foods consumed by humans. Both chemicals produce cancer in rats. For this reason, they have aroused concern among scientists and the public as to the carcinogenic risk that they pose to humans. A comparison of these two chemicals reveals striking contrasts in potency, metabolism, mechanism-of-action, and experimental approach to assessing metabolism. These contrasts are examined in detail to illustrate the importance of metabolism in safety evaluation.