One-year chronic toxicity of madder color in F344 rats--induction of preneoplastic/neoplastic lesions in the kidney and liver

Regulatory science of natural products

Foods and pharmaceuticals play key roles in public health and welfare and ensuring that these products meet their quality assurance standards is a top priority in health and medical care. Quality assurance of natural products is essential in pharmaceutical sciences because the outset of a medicine is a natural, crude drug. Regulatory science underpins scientific regulations and is closely related to the quality assurance of foods and pharmaceuticals to ensure their safety and efficacy. During my time at the National Institute of Health Sciences, Japan, from 1986 to present, the regulatory science of natural products has been my main research focus. This review discusses 24 studies related to the regulatory science of natural food additives, 26 related to foods, 23 related to borderline products, 16 related to illicit psychotropic mushrooms, plants, and agents, and 57 related to herbal medicines. In later sections, the regulatory science for ethical Kampo products with new dosage forms and herbal medicines that use Kampo extracts as active pharmaceutical ingredients are discussed. My experience from the early twenty-first century in research projects on the bioequivalence of Kampo products and the development of ephedrine alkaloid-free Ephedra Herb extract demonstrate that regulatory science is crucial for developing new drugs.

Molecular characterization and ecotoxicological evaluation of the natural dye madder and its chlorinated products

There has been increased interest in the use of natural dyes for textile coloration as alternatives to synthetic dyes, due to the general belief that natural dyes are more environmentally friendly. However, natural dyes have poor affinity for textiles, which can lead to high dye levels in the resultant wastewater. While chlorine treatment has proven to be effective for dye wastewater disinfection and decolorization, this process can also lead to the formation of more toxic degradation products for certain synthetic dyes. On the other hand, little information is available regarding the ecotoxicity of natural dyes and their chlorination products. To advance knowledge in this area, madder was selected due to its historical importance and wide application in the textile industry. Specifically, we sought to characterize the chlorine-induced degradation products of an aqueous madder solution and to assess their ecotoxicity. The main component of the present madder sample was Alizarin (89.8%). Chlorination led to complete decolorization, and 2-hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione and phthalic anhydride were identified as key degradation products. Chlorination of madder decreased toxicity to Daphnia similis (microcrustacean) 10-fold and removed the toxicity to Raphidocellis subcapitata (algae), when compared to the parent dye.

Quirks of dye nomenclature. 14. Madder: queen of red dyes

The long history of madder as a source of red dyes and pigments is presented. The variety of plant sources and the range of anthraquinone components discovered over a long period are addressed. Topics such as analysis, industrial uses, biological staining, red bone staining in live animals and toxicity are outlined briefly. The contributions of many chemists are acknowledged.

Developmental toxicity of benzyl benzoate in rats after maternal exposure throughout pregnancy

The maternal and fetal toxicity of benzyl benzoate, commonly used as antiparasitic insecticide, was evaluated in pregnant rats after a daily oral dose of 25 and 100 mg/kg. Biochemical, histopathological, and morphological examinations were performed. Dams were observed for maternal body weights and food and water consumption and subjected to caesarean section on (GD) 20. Maternal and fetal liver, kidney, heart, brain, and placenta were examined histopathologically under light microscope. Maternal and fetal liver and placenta were stained immunohistochemically for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Morphometric analysis of fetal body lengths, placental measurements, and fetal skeletal stainings was performed. Statistically significant alterations in biochemical parameters and placental and skeletal measurements were determined in treatment groups. In addition to histopathological changes, considerable differences were observed in the immunolocalization of VEGF in treatment groups. These results demonstrated that benzyl benzoate and its metabolites can transport to the placenta and eventually enter the fetuses.

Carcinogenic potential of alizarin and rubiadin, components of madder color, in a rat medium-term multi-organ bioassay

Madder color (MC), a food coloring extracted from roots of Rubia tinctorum L., has been proven to exert carcinogenicity in the rat kidney and liver. Furthermore, it induces DNA adducts in the kidney, liver, and colon. MC is in fact composed of anthraquinones such as lucidin-3-O-primeveroside and alizarin. To clarify which of these might be responsible for the carcinogenicity, a rat medium-term multi-organ carcinogenesis bioassay was performed focusing on the kidney, liver, and colon. Male 6-week-old F344 rats after receiving five different carcinogens were fed a diet containing either 0.008% or 0.04% of alizarin or rubiadin, a metabolite of lucidin-3-O-primeveroside, for 23 weeks. Treatment with 0.04% rubiadin significantly increased atypical renal tubules/hyperplasias and induced renal cell adenomas and carcinomas. Renal cell tumors were also increased with 0.04% alizarin, although at lower incidence than with rubiadin. In addition, glutathione S-transferase placental form-positive liver cell foci and large intestinal dysplasias were significantly increased with 0.04% rubiadin. These results indicate that both rubiadin and alizarin can increase renal preneoplastic lesions, the potential of the latter being weaker. Rubiadin may also target the liver and large intestine, suggesting a major role in madder color-induced carcinogenicity.

Possible contribution of rubiadin, a metabolite of madder color, to renal carcinogenesis in rats

Madder color (MC) has been shown to exert carcinogenic potential in the rat kidney in association with degeneration, karyomegaly, increased cell proliferation of renal tubule cells and increased renal 8-OHdG levels. To clarify the causal relationship of components and metabolites of MC to renal carcinogenesis, male F344 rats were fed lucidin-3-O-primeveroside (LuP) or alizarin (Alz), and the genotoxic LuP metabolites lucidin (Luc) or rubiadin (Rub) for up to 26 weeks. After one week and four weeks, Luc did not induce any renal changes. In contrast, after one week, cortical tubule degeneration was apparent in the Alz and LuP groups, and cytoplasmic swelling with basophilic change and karyomegaly in the outer medulla was observed only in the Rub group. LuP and Rub increased the proliferative activity of tubule cells in the outer medulla, and Alz and LuP increased renal 8-OHdG levels. After 26 weeks, Rub but not Alz induced atypical tubules, a putative preneoplastic lesion, and karyomegaly in the outer medulla. These results indicate that Rub may be a potent carcinogenic metabolite of MC, targeting proximal tubule cells in the outer medulla, although oxidative stress increased by Alz or LuP might also be involved in renal carcinogenesis by MC.

Induction of kidney and liver cancers by the natural food additive madder color in a two-year rat carcinogenicity study

Madder color (MC) extracted from the roots of Rubia tinctorum (madder root) has been used as a food coloring in Japan. Our previous studies revealed MC to have obvious subchronic and chronic toxicity and potent carcinogenicity targeting rat liver and kidney. In the present two-year carcinogenicity study, conducted to further elucidate the long-term effects of MC and its target organs, male and female F344 rats were fed diet containing 0%, 2.5%, and 5.0% MC for 104 weeks. Body weights were significantly decreased in treated groups of both sexes throughout the feeding period. However, survival rates at week 104 were higher in treated groups of both sexes than in controls. Relative weights of the kidneys and liver were significantly increased in treated groups of both sexes. Histopathologically, karyomegaly and atypical tubules/hyperplasias, as well as renal cell adenomas and carcinomas were significantly increased in treated groups of both sexes with dose-dependence. Moreover, the incidence of hepatocellular adenomas and/or carcinomas was increased significantly with a dose-relation in treated groups of both sexes. These data provide clear evidence that MC exerts unequivocal carcinogenicity against renal tubule cells and hepatocytes in rats.