Oral toxicity of malonaldehyde: A 90‐day study on mice

Abstract

The oral toxicity of malonaldehyde (MA), a product of lipid peroxidation found in some foods, was investigated in a 90 day study on mice. MA as the sodium enol salt was administered in the drinking water to 8-wk-old female Swiss mice at levels calculated to provide 2, 10, 50, 250 or 500 .mu.g/g body wt .cntdot. day. There was no mortality and all groups gained weight at comparable rates except that those that received 500 .mu.g/g body wt .cntdot. day gained more slowly and lost weight after 50 days. Histopathological examination of 27 tissues indicated that the liver was the only organ that underwent dose-dependent changes. All levels of MA induced irregularities (anisokaryosis, hyperchromicity, vesiculation) of hepatic nuclei. Pancreatic lesions consisting primarily of atrophy of the exocrine cells with loss of zymogen granulation occurred in animals which received 500 .mu.g MA/g body wt .cntdot. day. Mild dysplasia of the urinary bladder epithelium was found in all treatment groups. Approximately 1% of the dose was excreted unchanged in the urine at each level of administration.