INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME ON CHEMICAL SAFETY
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME
FOOD COLOURS, ENZYMES, FLAVOUR
ENHANCERS, THICKENING AGENTS, AND
CERTAIN FOOD ADDITIVES
WHO FOOD ADDITIVES SERIES 6
The evaluations contained in this publication were prepared by the
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives which met in Rome,
4-13 June 19741
World Health Organization Geneva 1975
1 Eighteenth Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on
Food Additives, Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1974, No. 557.
FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, 1974, No. 54.
TURMERIC AND CURCUMIN
Explanation
These compounds have been evaluated for acceptable daily intake
by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (see Annex 1,
Ref. No. 20) in 1969.
Since the previous evaluation additional data have become
available and are summarized and discussed in the following monograph.
The previously published monograph has been expanded and is reproduced
in its entirety below.
BIOLOGICAL DATA
BIOCHEMICAL ASPECTS
Curcumin at 0.1% in the diet lowered the serum and liver
cholesterol levels of rats fed cholesterol at 1% in their diet for
seven weeks. Faecal output of bile acids was increased in rats fed
curcumin with or without added cholesterol. Cholesterol excretion was
also enhanced by feeding curcumin (Rao et al., 1970).
TOXICOLOGICAL STUDIES
Acute toxicity
No data available.
Short-term studies
Dog
Two dogs were fed for one year on a diet containing approximately
1% commercial turmeric. No adverse effects were noted compared with
two controls (Truhaut, 1958)
Long-term studies
Rat
Groups of 20 male and 20 female rats were fed for 420 days on a
diet containing 0.5% of commercial turmeric with a control group of 15
males and 15 females. The average life span of test animals was 16-1/2
months compared with 17 months of the controls. Growth, haematology or
reproductive function were undisturbed as well as survival of the
pups. Passive congestion of the liver was seen equally in test and
control animals. No tumours were found. A follow-up of the first
filial generation for their life span showed no abnormalities except
for one benign tumour in a female rat (Truhaut, 1958).
Comments:
Studies on turmeric with an undefined curcumin content are
available. The single level tested revealed no adverse effects and the
true no-effect level may well be higher than the test level chosen.
Turmeric is now known to contain an average of 3% curcumin. On this
basis it is possible to evaluate both turmeric and curcumin
temporarily until the results of the further studies requested are
made available.
EVALUATION
Turmeric
Level causing no toxicological effect
Rat: 0.5% (= 5000 ppm) in the diet equivalent to 250 mg/kg bw.
Estimate of acceptable daily intake for man
0-2.5 mg/kg bw*
Curcumin (considered to be present in turmeric at 3%)
Estimate of acceptable daily intake for man
0-0.1 mg/kg bw*
FURTHER WORK OR INFORMATION
Required by June 1978
Turmeric: Adequate short-term study in a non-rodent, long-term study
at higher levels in a rodent species to establish no-effect level,
using turmeric with well defined curcumin content.
Curcumin: Metabolic studies preferably including man, adequate long-
term studies in rodent species, reproduction and embryotoxicity
including teratogenicity.
REFERENCES
Rao, D. S. et al. (1970) J. Nutrition, 100, 1307
Truhaut, R. (1958) C. R. on 18ème Congrès de la F.I.P. Bruxelles, 8-15
September
* Temporary.