Ilona Pasics Szakonyiné

Toxi-Coop Toxicological Research Center | TRC · Mammalian toxicology

There is a growing global interest in using peptides in the health industry for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and natural food products. Peptides contain two or more linked amino acids, whereas more than 50 amino acids are classified as polypeptides. While there is a growing level of interest in the use of peptides in the health and wellness industry...

There is an economic interest, both for food security and for the non-meat-eating population, in the development of novel, sustainable sources of high-quality protein. The green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has already been developed for this purpose, and the closely related species, C. debaryana, is a complementary source that also presents som...

Microorganisms have the potential to produce nutrient‐rich products that can be consumed as food or feed. The protein‐rich powder derived from heat‐treatment of the whole cell biomass of polyhydroxybutyrate deficient Cupriavidus necator, a metabolically versatile organism that uses elements found in the air, is an example of such a product. To asse...

Veillonella atypica is a nonmotile, nonsporulating anaerobic bacteria commonly found in various human biofilms. V. atypica FB0054 was isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of marathon runners, who have increased amounts of this species after athletic events. Interestingly, the consumption of this strain by rodents has been shown to increase thei...

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a nonpathogenic, nontoxigenic green algae used as a sustainable source of protein in foods. In order to mimic meat-like qualities, a strain rich in protoporphyrin IX (PPIX), an endogenous heme/chlorophyll precursor, was developed using an evolution and selection strategy, and investigations were carried out to evaluate...

Gold nanocrystals (AuNC) are gold nanoparticles (AuNP) relatively homogenous in size at 8–28 nm with clean surfaces and crystalline structures. There are concerns and a lack of consensus in the scientific literature and major regulatory bodies regarding not only the safety of nanoparticles when consumed by humans, but exactly how to determine their...

Geranylgeraniol (GGOH) is an isoprenoid compound found in annatto seeds and an intermediate of the mevalonate pathway found within organisms serving various functions. Toxicological studies on its safety profile are not readily available. To assess the safety of GGOH, a molecularly distilled, food grade annatto oil, consisting of approximately 80%...

Lithium orotate, the salt of lithium and orotic acid, has been marketed for decades as a supplemental source of lithium with few recorded adverse events. Nonetheless, there have been some concerns in the scientific literature regarding orotic acid, and pharmaceutical lithium salts are known to have a narrow therapeutic window, albeit, at lithium eq...

In this experimental work, sodium carboxymethyl beta-glucan (CMBG), a chemically altered beta-glucan, is evaluated for mutagenicity and sub-acute oral toxicity. Specifically, the tested material was CM-Beta Glucan Nu, a food grade powder ≥90% CMBG derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A bacterial reverse mutation test was performed and resulted in...

Cyanate has been recognised as a uremic toxin which can adversely affect the clinical status of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Besides, its toxicity has been under investigation in mammalian toxicology. If such studies are supplemented with toxicokinetic sampling and bioanalysis, additional information can be acquired about the systemi...

Humic substances are ubiquitous in soils and waters. These complex superstructures are derived from the decomposition of dead plant and animal matter and are vital to soil health. Their heterogenous composition is specific to their site of origin and is comprised of weakly bound aggregates of small organic compounds that can sequester minerals and...

Monomethylsilanetriol (MMST), a silicon-containing compound, has been sold in dietary supplements. However, toxicological studies on its safety profile are not readily available. To assess the safety of MMST stabilized in acacia gum, a novel delivery form of MMST, in accordance with internationally accepted standards, the genotoxic potential and re...

A battery of OECD- and GLP-compliant toxicological studies was performed to assess the safety of a highly purified germanium sesquioxide, an organic form of the naturally occurring, nonessential trace element germanium. Germanium dioxide and germanium lactate citrate (inorganic germaniums) have been shown to induce renal toxicity, whereas germanium...

Methylliberine (CAS 51168-26-4), a methoxiuric acid, is a caffeine metabolite present at low levels in various Coffea plants; however, very little has been published regarding this compound and we could find no toxicological data in the public domain. Therefore, we undertook the toxicological investigation of a pure, synthetic form of methylliberin...

A battery of OECD- and GLP-compliant toxicological studies was performed on mango leaf extract ( Mangifera indica ) containing 60% mangiferin (MLE). No evidence of genotoxicity was found in a bacterial reverse mutation test (Ames). While evidence of clastogenic activity was noted in an in vitro chromosomal aberration test, an in vivo mammalian micr...

Astragalus spp. and Panax spp. have a long history of traditional human use. A blend, InnoSlim®, of highly purified and fractionated root extracts from Astragalus membranaceus and Panax notoginseng has now been developed for human consumption; however, the unique constituent content of this blend has not been specifically evaluated with respect to...

A battery of toxicological studies was conducted to aid in the safety assessment of an ethanolic extract of Ageratum conyzoides for use as an ingredient in food. In accordance with internationally accepted standards, a bacterial reverse mutation test, an in vitro mammalian chromosomal aberration test, an in vivo mammalian micronucleus test, and a 9...

Colostrum has been consumed safely for many years as a food collected directly from cows. More recently, an ultrafiltrated bovine colostrum product has been developed; however, its safety in toxicology studies has not been extensively evaluated. To assess the safety of bovine colostrum ultrafiltrate, in accordance with internationally accepted stan...

A battery of toxicological studies was conducted on a supercritical CO 2 extract of the aerial parts of the Cannabis sativa plant, containing approximately 25% cannabinoids. No evidence of genotoxicity was found in a bacterial reverse mutation test (Ames), in an in vitro mammalian chromosomal aberration test, or in an in vivo mouse micronucleus stu...

A battery of toxicological studies was conducted to investigate the genotoxicity and repeated-dose oral toxicity of creatyl-l-leucine, a synthetic compound, in rats in accordance with internationally accepted guidelines. There was no evidence of mutagenicity in a bacterial reverse mutation test and in an in vitro mammalian chromosomal aberration te...

There is a current worldwide interest in developing novel sustainable nonanimal nutritional sources, and one such source is the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the only green algae that has been studied as a model organism for many biological processes ranging from photosynthesis to flagellar movement. However, its potential as a safe nutrit...

Fernblock® is a standardized commercial aqueous extraction of the leaves of the tropical fern Polypodium leucotomos promoted as an orally active photoprotective substance. In a previous battery of toxicological tests on Fernblock®, no genotoxicy was observed and no oral toxicity was observed up to 1200 mg/kg bw/day. The current study was conducted...

A 90-day repeated-dose oral toxicological evaluation was conducted according to GLP and OECD guidelines on the methylurate purine alkaloid theacrine, which is found naturally in certain plants. Four groups of Hsd.Brl.Han Wistar rats (ten/sex/group) were administered theacrine by gavage doses of 0 (vehicle only), 180, 300, and 375 mg/kg bw/day. Two...

A battery of toxicological studies was conducted to investigate the genotoxicity and repeated-dose oral toxicity of Bonolive™, a proprietary water-soluble extract of the leaves of the olive tree (Olea europaea L.), in accordance with internationally accepted protocols. There was no evidence of mutagenicity in a bacterial reverse mutation test and i...

A battery of toxicological studies was conducted in accordance with internationally accepted standards to investigate the genotoxicity and repeated-dose oral toxicity of Fernblock®, a commercial aqueous extraction of the leaves of the tropical fern Polypodium leucotomos used for its oral and topical photoprotective properties. No evidence of mutage...

A well-characterized standardized hydroethanolic extract of a traditionally recognized mak (mild) variety of Sceletium tortuosum, a South African plant with a long history of traditional ingestion, is marketed under the trade name Zembrin® as an ingredient for use in functional foods and dietary supplements. It is standardized to contain 0.35–0.45%...