INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME ON CHEMICAL SAFETY
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SOME
FOOD COLOURS, EMULSIFIERS, STABILIZERS,
ANTI-CAKING AGENTS AND CERTAIN
OTHER SUBSTANCES
FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series
No. 46A WHO/FOOD ADD/70.36
The content of this document is the result of the deliberations of the
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives which met in Rome,
27 May - 4 June 19691
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
World Health Organization
1 Thirteenth report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food
Additives, FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series, in press;
Wld Hlth Org. techn. Rep. Ser., in press.
CHLOROPHYLL
Biological Data
Biochemical aspects
Concentrations of 10 mg per cent. chlorophyll inhibit liver cell
suspensions. Large doses (150 mg/kg body-weight i.v., 500 mg/kg oral)
lower the body temperature of mice. Only some 3 per cent. of
chlorophyll is absorbed by the gastro-intestinal tract (Heinrichs et
al., 1954). Most of the human intake of chlorophyll comes from green
vegetables but small doses of 5 or 600 mg have been consumed daily as
tablets against body odour. The free chlorophyll acid or the
methyl-phytyl ester are insoluble in water or acid media. Ingested
chlorophyll is excreted as phaeophytin in the faeces, the proportion
varying from 43 - 77 per cent. (Brugsch & Sheard, 1938). The full
metabolic fate is not known. Sodium chlorophyllin has a hypotensive
and diuretic effect, if given parenterally (Levshin, 1958).
Acute toxicity
Animal Route (mg/kg body-weight) Reference
Mouse oral >10 g (water soluble) Heinrichs et al., 1954
i.p. 400 mg (water soluble) Heinrichs et al., 1954
i.v. 285 mg (water soluble) Heinrichs et al., 1954
Guinea-pig i.v. 80* mg (water soluble) Heinrichs et al., 1954
*MLD
Short-term studies
None available.
Long-term studies
None available.
Comments
Soluble chlorophyll as specified has a low toxicity. Although
chlorophyll has been ingested by man in his food since the dawn of
history, in recent years phytol-intolerance due to a rare inborn error
of metabolism has been defined as the clinical syndrome of Refsum's
disease. Knowledge about the use of chlorophyll as a food colour may
therefore be important to clinicians.
EVALUATION
Not limited except for good manufacturing practice.
REFERENCES
Brugsch, J. T. & Sheard, C. (1938) J. Lab. clin. Med., 24, 230
Heinrichs, D., Rummel, W. & Schunk, R. (1954) Arzneim - Forsch.,
4, 19
Levshin, B. J. (1958) Farmakol i Toksikol, 21, 46