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Chronic toxicity studies of β-carotene

1960; Elsevier BV; Volume: 2; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0041-008x(60)90052-1

1096-0333

Robert E. Bagdon, G. Zbinden, A. Studer,

Plant biochemistry and biosynthesis

1. β-carotene was administered at a dietary concentration of 0.1% to four successive generations of rats. The duration of these feeding experiments extended to 110 weeks in some groups. This dosage schedule represents continuous administration of daily dosages of β-carotene equivalent to 16,000 IU of vitamin A per rat over the life span of these animals. 2. In rats, β-carotene had no deleterious effects on growth, food consumption, hemopoietic tissues, or reproduction. Gross or histopathologic tissue changes attributable to feeding of this carotenoid were not detected in these animals. Microscopically, the Kupffer cells of the liver were filled with Sudan-staining material, indicating the storage of a moderate amount of vitamin A. 3. A three months' chronic toxicity study of this carotenoid in dogs at doses as high as 100 mg/kg indicates the innocuousness of β-carotene. In terms of vitamin A activity, this dose represents daily administration of 160,000 IU of vitamin A per kilogram. 4. In the dog and rat toxicity experiments, signs of hypervitaminosis A were completely absent in all groups of animals.