INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME ON CHEMICAL SAFETY

    WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION



    SUMMARY OF TOXICOLOGICAL DATA OF CERTAIN FOOD ADDITIVES
    AND CONTAMINANTS



    WHO FOOD ADDITIVES SERIES NO. 13






    The data contained in this document were examined by the
    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives*
    Rome, 3-12 April 1978




    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
    World Health Organization



    * Twenty-second Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
    Additives, Geneva, 1978, WHO Technical Report Series No. 631

    TURMERIC/CURCUMIN

    Explanation

         These compounds have been evaluated for acceptable daily intake
    by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives in 1974.

         Since the previous evaluation additional data have become
    available and are summarized 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).

    Special studies

    Pharmacology

         "In vitro" lipid peroxidation of rat brain preparations showed
    95% inhibition in the presence of 5.15 × 10-3 M curcumin (Sharma,
    1976).

    Mutagenicity

         Extracts of curcumin prepared by crushing the rhyzomes of
    curcumin, and diluting the extract with water caused abnormalities in
    the metaphase stage of division of root tip cells of Alluim cepa.
    The predominant type of aberration produced was chromosome breakage.
    In addition, other effects observed included C-mitosis, somatic
    segregations, binucleate cells and multipolar anophases (Abraham et
    al., 1976).

    "In vitro" cell toxicity

         Studies on the effect of alcoholic extracts of turmeric on
    mammalian cells "in vitro", using cells of the Chinese hamster
    (Cencetulus griseus), cell line Don of the cactus mouse
    (Peromyseus eremicus) and of the Indian munja (Muntiacus muntjac),
    and short-term human lymphocyte cultures, showed changes in chromosome
    morphology (chromatid separation, breakage and disintegration), as
    well as mitotic arrest. The incorporation of labelled nuclosides into
    Chinese hamster cells was greatly inhibited by concentrations of the
    turmeric extract that did not cause detectable changes in chromosome
    morphology (Goodpasture and Arrighi, 1976).

    REFERENCES

    Abraham, S., Abraham, S. K. and Radhamany, G. (1976) Mutagenic
    potential of the condiments, ginger and turmeric, Cytologia (Tokyo),
    41, 591-595

    Goodpasture, C. E. and Arrighi, F. E. (1976) Effects of food
    seasonings on the cell cycle and chromosome morphology of mammalian
    cells in vitro with special reference to turmeric, Food Cosmet.
    Toxicol., 14, 9-14

    Rao, D. S., Sekhara, N. C., Satyanarayana, M. N. and Srinivasan, M.
    (1970) Effect of curcumin on serum and liver cholesterol levels in the
    rat, J. Nutr., 100, 1307-1315

    Sharma, O. P. (1976) Antioxidant activity of curcumin and related
    compounds, Biochem. Pharmacol., 25, 1811-1812

    Truhaut, R. (1958) Resultats des experiences de toxicité à long terme
    effectuées avec les colorants d'origine naturelle, le curcuma et
    l'orseille. C.R. on 18ème Congrès de la Federation internationale de
    Pharmacologie, 8-15 September, 1978

    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations