INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME ON CHEMICAL SAFETY

    WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION



    SUMMARY OF TOXICOLOGICAL DATA OF CERTAIN FOOD ADDITIVES



    WHO FOOD ADDITIVES SERIES NO. 12






    The data contained in this document were examined by the
    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives*
    Geneva, 18-27 April 1977




    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
    World Health Organization



    * Twenty-first Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
    Additives, Geneva, 1977, WHO Technical Report Series No. 617

    CARTHAMUS YELLOW

    EVALUATION FOR ACCEPTABLE DAILY INTAKE

    BIOLOGICAL DATA

    BIOCHEMICAL ASPECTS

         It is presumed that carthamus yellow is absorbed through the
    intestinal tract, as indicated by the yellow discoloration of all body
    systems. It is thought that the liver plays a major role in the
    excretion. Following a six-month period during which carthamus was
    administered orally, the liver became extremely yellow. This was
    attributed to the "acceleration of the liver function to eliminate the
    substance" (Chiba, 1970).

    Acute toxicity

                                                               

                              LD50        References
    Animal         Route   (mg/kg bw)
                                                               

    Male mice      p.o.     >20 000       Kuwamura et al., 1970
    Female mice    p.o.     >20 000       Kuwamura et al., 1970

    Male mice      i.p.       6 297       Kuwamura et al., 1970
    Female mice    i.p.       3 535       Kuwamura et al., 1970
                                                               

    Short-term studies

         Four groups of 15 male and 15 female rats SD-JCL-strain were
    given in the diet quantities of earthamus yellow in doses
    corresponding to 0, 1000, 10 000 and 100 000 ppm for six months.
    Although the body weight and growth curves of male rats were somewhat
    depressed at 13 and 24 weeks, other examinations such as feed intake,
    mortality rate, organ weight, gross and microscopic evaluation of
    tissues revealed "no toxic sign attributable to carthamus yellow"
    (Chiba, 1972).

    REFERENCES

    Chiba, S. (1970) Subacute toxicity of yellow dye "TANACOLOR-Y"
    (carthamus yellow). Unpublished report from the Department of Public
    Health, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan,
    submitted to the World Health Organization by Tanabe Seiyaku Co.,
    Ltd., Osaka, Japan

    Chiba, S. (1972) Chronic toxicity of "TANACOLOR-Y" (carthemus yellow).
    Unpublished report from the Department of Public Health, Juntendo
    University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, submitted to the World
    Health Organization by Tanabe Seiyaku Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan

    Kuwamura, Ikeda and Ishihara (1970) Acute toxicity of carthamus
    yellow. Unpublished report from research staff of Tanabe Seiyaku,
    submitted to the World Health Organization by Tanabe Seiyaku Co.,
    Ltd., Osaka, Japan

    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations