METHYL ANTHRANILATE Explanation Methyl anthranilate was reviewed at the eleventh meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, specifications were prepared, and a conditional acceptable daily intake for man (ADI) of 0-1.5 mg/kg bw was established (FAO/WHO, 1967; FAO/WHO, 1968). Since this previous review, new data has become available and is included in this monograph. BIOLOGICAL DATA BIOCHEMICAL ASPECTS Substantial evidence has accumulated showing that many esters readily undergo enzymatic hydrolysis into their component alcohols and acids (F.E.M.A., 1974; Longland et al., 1977; Grundschober, 1977). In the case of methyl anthranilate, there is direct experimental evidence showing that this ester, while only slowly hydrolysed by artificial gastric or pancreatic juice, was readily hydrolysed in rat liver homogenate (50% in 26.6 minutes) and rapidly hydrolysed in a homogenate of rat small intestine mucosa (50% in 2.5 minutes) (Longland et al., 1977). Methyl anthranilate has also been shown to be completely hydrolysed (>99% in two hours) in pig liver homogenate; but was more resistant to hydrolysis in pig jejunum homogenate and completely unhydrolysed by a pancreatin preparation (Grundschober, 1977). The hydrolysis products of methyl anthranilate are, of course, methyl alcohol and anthranilic acid. Methyl alcohol is readily metabolized via well-known pathways to carbon dioxide and water (Williams, 1959; Harger, 1967). Anthranilic acid is a normal metabolite in man and is excreted in the urine, primarily, as o-aminohippuric acid and to a lesser extent as anthranilic acid glucuronide. Data are also available on other species (rat, rabbit, cat, dog) (Charconnet-Harding et al., 1953; Price et al., 1956; Brown & Price, 1956; Williams, 1959). TOXICOLOGICAL STUDIES Special studies on carcinogenicity There was no increase in the incidence of primary lung tumours in A/He mice (20 females per group), over a period of 24 weeks, that received a total dose of methyl anthranilate of 2.25 or 11.2 g/kg bw (repeated i.p. injections three times a week for a total of 24 injections). Methyl anthranilate was not considered to be a carcinogen under the conditions of this test (Stoner et al., 1973). A recent bioassay of anthranilic acid for possible carcinogenicity has shown that, under the conditions of the test, anthranilic acid was not carcinogenic for either Fisher 344 rats or B6C3F1 mice (DHEW, 1978). Acute toxicity LD50 Animal Route mg/kg bw References Mouse oral 3 900 Jenner et al., 1964 Rat oral 2 910 Jenner et al., 1964 Rat oral 3 000 Dow, 1967 Guinea-pig oral 2 780 Jenner et al., 1964 Guinea-pig oral 4 000 Dow, 1967 Rabbit Dermal 5 000 Opdyke, 1974 Short-term studies Rat Groups of 10 male and 10 female rats were maintained for 13 weeks on diets containing methyl anthranilate at levels of 0, 1000 and 10 000 ppm (approximately equivalent to 50 and 500 mg/kg bw). No adverse effects were observed on body weights, appearance, food intake, haematology, organ weights, macroscopic or microscopic (at highest dietary level) examination of the major organs (Hagan et al., 1967). Groups of 10 male and 10 female weanling rats were maintained for a period of 115 days on diets containing methyl anthranilate at levels of 0, 3000 and 10 000 ppm (approximately equivalent to 150-300 and 500-1000 mg/kg bw). There was no evidence of adverse effects at the 3000 ppm level as judged by appearance, behaviour, growth, mortality, terminal haematological examination, final body weights, organ weights, and gross and microscopic examination. The only observable effects noted at the 10 000 ppm level were increases in the average weights of the liver and kidneys, and slight (minimal) histological changes in the kidneys (Dow, 1967). Groups of 35 male and 35 female rats received doses of 1.5 and 3.0% of anthranilic acid in the diet for 78 weeks. There was a matched control group of 15 males and 15 females, which was part of a pooled control group of 30 males and 30 females. No increases in tumours were noted, nor were there any abnormal or dose-related non-neoplastic lesions. There was a slight dose- related depression of weight gain, but there were no unusual clinical signs, nor was there any effect on survival. Groups of 35 male and 35 female mice received doses of 2.5 and 5.0% of anthranilic acid in the diet for 78 weeks. As in the rat experiment, there were matched and pooled control groups of 15 and 30 of each sex. No increases in tumours were noted, nor were there abnormal or dose-related non-neoplastic lesions. Except for low-dose males, there was a slight dose-related depression of weight gain. There were no unusual clinical signs and there was no effect on survival (DHEW, 1978). Comments The evaluation of methyl anthranilate is based on short-term toxicity studies and on data demonstrating the conversion of methyl anthranilate to methyl alcohol and anthranilic acid. Data from long-term studies in rats and mice with anthranilic acid show that there is no increase in tumour incidence in test animals compared with the controls. The previous conditional ADI was converted into an ADI. A monograph was prepared. EVALUATION Level causing no toxicological effect Rat: 3000 ppm (0.3%) in the diet equivalent to 150 mg/kg bw. Estimate of acceptable daily intake for man (ADI) 0-1.5 mg/kg bw. REFERENCES Brown, R. R. & Price, J. M. (1956) Quantitative studies on metabolites of tryptophan in the urine of the dog, cat, rat, and man, J. Biol. Chem., 219, 985-997 Charconnet-Harding, F., Dalgliesh, C. E. & Newberger, A. (1953) The relation between riboflavin and tryptophan metabolism, studied in the rat, Biochem. J., 53, 513-521 DHEW (1978) Bioassay of anthranilic acid for possible carcinogenicity, US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, DHEW Publication No. (National Institute of Health) 78-836 Dow (1967) Toxicity of methyl anthranilate. Unpublished report from the Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan, USA FAO/WHO (1967) Toxicological evaluation of some flavouring substances and non-nutritive sweetening agents, FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series No. 44a; WHO/Food Add./68.33 FAO/WHO (1968) Specifications for the identity and purity of food additives and their toxicological evaluation: some flavouring substances and non-nutritive sweetening agents, Eleventh Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series No. 44; World Health Organization Technical Report Series No. 383 F.E.M.A. (1974) Scientific literature review of aliphatic primary alcohols, aldehydes, esters, and acids in flavor usage. Published by the National Information Services under contract with the Food and Drug Administration F.E.M.A. (1978) Scientific literature review of anthranilates in flavor usage. Published by the National Information Services under contract with the Food and Drug Administration Grundschober, F. (1977) Toxicological assessment of flavouring esters, Toxicology, 8, 387-390 Hagan, E. C. et al. (1967) Food flavourings and compounds of related structure: II. Subacute and chronic toxicity, Food Cosmet. Toxicol., 5, 141-157 Harger, R. N. (1967) Aliphatic alcohols, Prog. Chem. Tox., 3, 1-61 Jenner, P. M. et al. (1964) Food flavourings and compounds of related structure. I. Acute oral toxicity, Food Cosmet. Toxicol., 2, 327-343 Longland, R. C., Shilling, W. H. & Gangolli, S. D. (1977) The hydrolysis of flavouring esters by artificial gastrointestinal juices and rat tissue preparations, Toxicology, 8, 197-204 Opdyke, D. L. J. (1974) Fragrance raw materials monographs, Food Cosmet. Toxicol., 12, 935-936 Price, J. M., Brown, R. R. & Ellis, M. E. (1956) Quantitative studies on the urinary excretion of tryptophan metabolites by humans ingesting a constant diet, J. Nutr., 60, 323-333 Stoner, G. D. et al. (1973) Test for carcinogenicity of food additives and chemotherapeutic agents by the pulmonary tumor response in strain A mice, Cancer Res., 33, 3069-3085 Williams, R. T. (1959) Detoxication mechanisms, The metabolism and detoxication of drugs, toxic substances and other compounds, London, Chapman & Hall Ltd, 2nd ed.
See Also: Toxicological Abbreviations Methyl anthranilate (FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 44a) METHYL ANTHRANILATE (JECFA Evaluation)