Repeated dose oral toxicological evaluation of concentrated barley β-glucan in CD-1 mice including a recovery phase

The cholesterol-lowering effect observed following consumption of oats and barley is attributable to the β-glucan component of the soluble fiber fraction of these cereal grains. β-Glucan has also been reported to modulate immune activity, however, few studies have evaluated the hematological effects of β-glucan following oral exposure. In the...

Ninety-day oral toxicity study of lycopene from Blakeslea trispora in rats

Lycopene, as a suspension in sunflower oil (20% w/w), was tested for subchronic toxicity by administration at dietary concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.0% to groups of 20 male and 20 female Wistar rats for a period of 90 days. The lycopene examined in this study was derived from a fungal biomass (Blakeslea trispora). Lycopene intake was...

Identification of determinants of the between-operator variation of the total protein S antigen assay: A collaborative study of the Dutch Working Group on Haemostasis Laboratory Diagnosis

In a previous study, a between-operator variability (CVOBETWEEN) of 9.6% and 15.0% was observed for total protein S antigen assays in 11 laboratories using a frozen or lyophilized reference plasma, respectively, and the need to standardize the use of lyophilized reference plasma was identified. The aim of the present study was to identify...

Subchronic oral toxicity studies with y-cyclodextrin in rats

The toxicity of γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD), a cyclic polymer of eight α-1,4-linked glucopyranosyl units with potential applications as a food ingredient, was examined in a 2-week pilot study followed by a 13-week oral toxicity study in Wistar rats. In the 2-week study, the test substance was administered to groups of 5 male rats at dietary levels of...

Subacute toxicity of a mixture of nine chemicals in rats: Detecting interactive effects with a fractionated two-level factorial design

The present study was intended (1) to find out whether simultaneous administration of nine chemicals at a concentration equal to the 'no-observed-adverse-effect level' (NOAEL) for each of them would result in a NOAEL for the combination and (2) to test the usefulness of fractionated factorial models to detect possible interactions between...

Nutrition and aging: Nutritional status of ''apparently healthy'' elderly (Dutch nutrition surveillance system)

In a nationwide survey the nutritional status was assessed of 539 apparently healthy, independently living elderly aged 65-79 years. Anthropometric data showed no energy deficits. The prevalence of anemia was 4 and 1% among men and women, respectively. Many elderly showed a low level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in plasma (< 31 nmol/L: men 35%; women...