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.
TRAGACANYTH GUM
Biological Data
Biochemical aspects
In a comparative study of the hypocholesterolemic activity of various
mucilaginous polysaccharides tragacanth gum fed at a level of three
per cent. along with three per cent. cholesterol in the diet of
cockerels, inhibited the development of hypercholesterolemia (Riccardi
& Fahrenbach, 1965). Tragacanth gum administered intraperitoneally,
subcutaneously or per os 24 hours before hexobarbital has no effect
on the hexobarbital sleeping time of mice. The effect of phenobarbital
and urethan pre-treatment to induce a shortening of hexobarbital
sleeping is blocked by interperitoneal injections of tragacanth gum,
thus suggesting the presence of a hepatic effect of tragacanth gum
(Fujimoto, 1965).
Comments
Little information is available despite traditional usage in
pharmaceutical preparations. The metabolic fate of this gum in several
species preferably including man should be studied. Ninety-day studies
in several species are also required.
EVALUATION
Not possible on the data available.
REFERENCES
Fujimoto, J. M. (1965) Toxicol. appl, Pharmacol., 7, 287-290
Riccardi, B. A. & Fahrenbach, M. J. (1965) Fed. Proc., 24, 263