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A ninety-day oral toxicity study of a new type of processed gum arabic, from Acacia tree (Acacia senegal) exudates, in F344 rats.

Doi Y, Ichihara T, Hagiwara A, Imai N, Tamano S, Orikoshi H, Ogasawara K, Sasaki Y, Nakamura M, Shirai T

DIMS Institute of Medical Science, Inc., 64 Goura, Nishiazai, Ichinomiya 491-0113, Japan.

This study was designed to evaluate and characterize any subchronic toxicity of a new type of gum arabic (SUPER GUM [Acacia(sen)SUPER GUM]), a naturally processed polysaccharide exudate from gum acacia trees (Acacia senegal), when administered to both sexes of F344 rats at dietary levels of 0 (control), 1.25%, 2.5%, and 5.0% (10 rats/sex/group). During the study, the treatment had no effects on clinical signs, survival, body weights, and food and water consumption, or on findings of urinalysis, ophthalmology, hematology, or blood biochemistry. Gross pathology and histopathology exhibited no differences of toxicological significance between control and treated rats. Increased relative cecum (filled) weights, evident in both sexes of 5.0% group and females of 1.25% and 2.5% groups, were considered to be a physiological adaptation. Thus, the results indicated the toxic level of SUPER GUM to be more than 5.0%, and the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) was concluded to be 5.0% (3,117 mg/kg body weights/day for males, and 3,296 mg/kg body weights/day for males) from the present study.

Published 13 March 2006 in Food Chem Toxicol, 44(4): 560-6.
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