FAO Nutrition Meetings
    Resort Series No. 44A
    WHO/Food Add./68.33




    TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME
    FLAVOURING SUBSTANCES AND
    NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENING AGENTS





    Geneva, 21-28 August 1967



    The Eleventh Report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
    Additives is published as FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series,
    1967, No. 44; Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., 1968, 383. This
    Report contains general considerations, including the principles
    adopted for the evaluation, and a summary of the results of the
    evaluations of a number of food additives. Additional information,
    such as biological data and a toxicological evaluation, considered at
    that meeting, is to be found in this document.


    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
    World Health Organization
    1967


    ETHYL HEPTANOATE

    Synonyms                      Ethyl heptoate; ethyl oenanthoeat

    Chemical name                 Ethyl heptanoate

    Empirical forumula            C9H18O2

    Structural formula            CH3(CH2)5COOC2H5

    Molecular weight              158.24

    Definition                    Ethyl heptanoate contains not less than
                                  97 per cent. C9H18O2*

    Description                   A colourless liquid having a fruity,
                                  wine-like odour and taste with a burning
                                  after-taste.

    Biological Data

    Biochemical aspects

         This ester is probably hydrolyzed in the body into heptanoic acid
    and ethyl alcohol. Heptanoic acid is further metabolized into pimelic
    and malonic acids, and in rabbits gives rise to keto bodies (van
    Oettingen, 1960).

    Acute toxicity

                                                                       

    Animal     Route        LD50              Reference
                            (mg/kg 
                            body-weight)
                                                                       

    Rat        oral         >34 640           Jenner et al., 1964
                                                                       

         Rat. Groups of 10 male and 10 female rats were fed diets
    containing 0, 0.1 and 1 per cent. of ester for 13 weeks. No adverse
    effects were noted on body-weight gain, food consumption, organ
    weight, haematology and histological appearance of the major organs
    (Hagan et al., 1967).

    Long-term studies

         None available.

    Comments

         Only scanty animal data are available but these permit
    evaluation. Further metabolic studies are needed.

    EVALUATION

    Level causing no toxicological effect

         Rat. 1 per cent. (= 10 000 ppm) in the diet, equivalent to 500
    mg/kg body-weight/day.

    Estimate of acceptable daily intake for man

                                       mg/kg body-weight

         Conditional acceptance              0-1

    Further work required

         Biochemical and metabolic studies in animals and man.

    REFERENCES

    Hagan, E. C., Hansen, W. H, Fitzhugh, O. G, Jenner, P. M. Jones, W. I,
    Taylor, J.M., Long, E. L., Nelson, A. A. & Brouwer, J. B. (1967)
    Fd Cosmet. Toxicol., 5(2), 141

    Jenner, P. M., Hagan, E. C., Taylor, J. M, Cook, E. L. & Fitzhugh, O.
    G. (1964) Fd Cosmet. Toxicol., 2, 327

    Von Oettingen, W. F. (1960) A.M.A. Arch. Ind. Healt  21, 109
    

    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations
       ETHYL HEPTANOATE (JECFA Evaluation)