X-Message-Number: 10020 Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 03:01:20 -0700 (PDT) From: Doug Skrecky <> Subject: erythritol medline posts Authors Tetzloff W. Dauchy F. Medimagh S. Carr D. Bar A. Institution IPHAR Institut for Clinical Pharmacology, Hohenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn, Germany. Title Tolerance to subchronic, high-dose ingestion of erythritol in human volunteers. Source Regulatory Toxicology & Pharmacology. 24(2 Pt 2):S286-95, 1996 Oct. Abstract Erythritol is a sugar alcohol (polyol) which is absorbed from the small intestine in substantial amounts, not metabolized in the human body, and therefore excreted in the urine. Erythritol holds promise as a low-calorie sugar substitute. Human tolerance to repeated oral doses of erythritol was examined in a double-blind, two-way crossover study in 12 healthy, male volunteers. The participants consumed erythritol and, for comparison, sucrose for a duration of 7 days each. The daily dose of the test compounds ingested was 0.3 g/kg on Day 1, 0.6 g/kg on Day 2, and 1.0 g/kg on subsequent days. The daily dose was consumed under supervision in five portions, i.e., with the three main meals, a midmorning snack, and during the afternoon. The test compounds were incorporated into yoghurt, cookies, soft drinks, and chocolate. On each treatment day, body weight and blood pressure were measured and the participants were interviewed about side effects and their perception of stool and urine production. During the last 96 hr of each treatment period, urine was collected at 3-hr intervals during the day and for a 9-hr interval overnight for analysis of erythritol and different urinary parameters. On Days 3 to 7 of each treatment period, the participants were institutionalized. Body weights and blood pressure remained stable during the entire study. Signs of gastrointestinal intolerance were not seen and stool frequency and appearance were not different between the two treatments. The intake of liquids, which were provided ad libitum, was generally rather high (32.8 g/kg body wt/day on average) but not different between erythritol and sucrose consumption. Urine output also was high during both treatment periods. About 78% of ingested erythritol was excreted in the urine which led to a higher urinary osmolality but did not influence the 24-hr output of creatinine, citrate, urea, or electrolytes (Na+, K+, Cl-, Pi). The excretion of calcium was slightly higher during the erythritol test period but in absolute terms this increase was small. The urinary excretions of albumin, beta 2-microglobulin, and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase were slightly elevated during the erythritol test period but they were still well within the physiological range. None of the observed urinary changes became more pronounced with increasing duration of the erythritol treatment. In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrate that the repeated ingestion of erythritol at daily doses of 1 g/kg body wt was well tolerated by humans. Authors Kawamura Y. Saito Y. Imamura M. Modderman JP. Institution Nikken Chemicals Co., Ltd., Saitama, Japan. Title Mutagenicity studies on erythritol in bacterial reversion assay systems and in Chinese hamster fibroblast cells. Source Regulatory Toxicology & Pharmacology. 24(2 Pt 2):S261-3, 1996 Oct. Abstract The sweetener erythritol tested negative in reverse mutation assays using Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100, TA1535, and TA1537 and the WP2 uvrA strain of Escherichia coli. Erythritol tested negative in chromosome aberration tests using the Chinese hamster fibroblast cell line CHL/IU. Authors Dean I. Jackson F. Greenough RJ. Institution Inveresk Research, Scotland, United Kingdom. Title Chronic (1-year) oral toxicity study of erythritol in dogs. Source Regulatory Toxicology & Pharmacology. 24(2 Pt 2):S254-60, 1996 Oct. Abstract The chronic oral toxicity of erythritol was examined by feeding erythritol at dietary levels of 0 (controls), 2, 5, or 10% to groups of four male and four female dogs for 53 weeks. Erythritol was well tolerated at all dose levels without evidence of diarrhea. Water consumption was slightly higher in the high-dose group than in controls. Body weights and weight gains were not affected by treatment. There were no clinically relevant changes in hematological or clinicochemical parameters attributable to treatment. In particular, plasma electrolyte concentrations remained unaffected. Evaluation of a number of urinary parameters (including electrolytes and renal enzymes) was hampered by widely varying urine volumes among individual dogs; however, the available data did not indicate treatment-related effects on the urinary excretion of electrolytes (K+, Na+, Mg2+, and Pi) or enzymes (gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, N-acetyl glucosaminidase, and lactate dehydrogenase). Quantitation of erythritol in the urine demonstrated that 50 to 80% of the ingested dose was absorbed and excreted in the urine. Analysis of terminal organ weights did not reveal treatment-related differences. No histopathological changes attributable to treatment were observed in the kidneys or in any other organ or tissue examined. It was concluded that daily erythritol consumption of up to 3.5 g/kg body wt was well tolerated by dogs. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=10020