• Toxicological Research
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.259-267
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• 2016

Animal testing was used traditionally in the cosmetics industry to confirm product safety, but has begun to be banned; alternative methods to replace animal experiments are either in development, or are being validated, worldwide. Research data related to test substances are critical for developing novel alternative tests. Moreover, safety information on cosmetic materials has neither been collected in a database nor shared among researchers. Therefore, it is imperative to build and share a database of safety information on toxicological mechanisms and pathways collected through in vivo, in vitro, and in silico methods. We developed the CAMSEC database (named after the research team; the Consortium of Alternative Methods for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics) to fulfill this purpose. On the same website, our aim is to provide updates on current alternative research methods in Korea. The database will not be used directly to conduct safety evaluations, but researchers or regulatory individuals can use it to facilitate their work in formulating safety evaluations for cosmetic materials. We hope this database will help establish new alternative research methods to conduct efficient safety evaluations of cosmetic materials.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.129-135
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• 2013

Salmonella is one of the major pathogenic bacteria that cause food poisoning. This study investigated whether heat-killed as well as live Lactobacillus protects host animal against Salmonella infection. Live and heat-killed Lactobacillusacidophilus was administered orally to Sprague-Dawley rats for 2 weeks before the rats were inoculated with Salmonella. Rise in body temperature was moderate in the group that was treated with heat-killed bacteria as compared to the Salmonella control group. The mean amount of feed intake and water consumption of each rat in the heat-killed bacteria group were nearly normal. The number of fecal Salmonellae was comparable between the live and the heat-killed L. acidophilus groups. This finding shows that L. acidophilus facilitates the excretion of Salmonella. Moreover, the levels of pro inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1 beta, in the heat-killed L. acidophilus group were significantly lower when compared to the levels in the Salmonella control group. These results indicate that nonviable lactic acid bacteria also could play an important role in preventing infections by enteric pathogens such as Salmonella.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.125-131
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• 2009

Korea is representative of a country that consumes herbal medicines; most of the herbal medicines circulating in South Korea have been imported from developing countries in Southeast Asia, such as China and Indonesia. Recently, domestic hygiene and safety are issues that have come to the forefront, because herbal medicines currently in circulation could possibly contain contaminants or residues. Furthermore, the appearance or discovery of harmful new species due to environmental and industrial developments is becoming a social problem. Therefore, it may be necessary to consider and investigate these matters on a continual basis. Recently, mycotoxin contaminations in such foods as cereals, nuts, and powdered red pepper have been reported. They have become a problematic issue; the possibility of contamination in herbal medicines has also been considered. Nevertheless, recognition of and research into mycotoxin contamination in herbal medicines has been scarce because herbal medicine is used in only a few nations. In this research, we identified contamination by aflatoxin which is known to be the most potent mutagenic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic mycotoxin in Thujae Semen, a herbal medicine. We also found co-contaminations involving other mycotoxins, including ochratoxin A and zeraleanone.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제17권
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• pp.263-270
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• 2001

The carcinogenic potential of steviol, a metabolite of/ stevioside (a compound that is used as a sweetener for food and drink), was examined in hamsters of both sexes. Groups of 55 male and 55 female hamsters were given diets containing steviol at 0, 100 and 500 mg/kg diet for 22 months in males and 18 months in females. After 6, 12 and 22 months in males and 18 months in females. hamsters from each group were sacrificed for hematological and biochemical tests. Growth food utilization and consumption, general appearance and mortality were similar in treated and control groups. The mean life span of hamsters given steviol was not significantly different from that of the controls. No treatment-related changes were observed in hematological, urinary and biochemical values at any stage of the study. There was no significantly altered development of neoplastic or non-neoplastic lesions attributable to steviol treatment in any organ or tissue. The highest level oj steviol in the diet which still causes no effects in hamsters was 500 mg/kg diet, under the experimental conditions used.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.393-402
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• 2015

This study was conducted to measure toxicity of 1-chloropropane (CAS No. : 540-54-5). According to the OECD Test Guideline 413 (Subchronic inhalation toxicity: 90-day study), SD rats were exposed to 0, 310, 1,250, and 5,000 ppm of 1-chloropropane for 6 h/day, 5 day/week for 13 weeks via whole-body inhalation. Mortality, clinical signs, body weights, food consumption, motor activity, ophthalmoscopy, hematology, serum chemistry, urinalysis, organ weights, gross and histopathological findings were compared between control and all tested groups. No mortality or remarkable clinical signs were examined during the study. No gross lesions or adverse effects on body weight, food consumption, motor activity, ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, hematology, organ weights were observed in any of male or female rats in all tested groups. In serum biochemistry, glucose was significantly decreased in males of 1,250 and 5,000 ppm groups compared to control group in dose-dependent relationship. In histopathological examination, vacuolation of acinar cells was observed in pancreas of all male and female groups exposed to 1-chloropropane. In conclusion, no observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) was considered to be below 310 ppm/6 h/day, 5 day/week for rats.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제34권2호
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• pp.97-102
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to determine the oral wound healing effects of acai berry water extracts (ABWE) in rat oral mucosa. To estimate the anti-oxidative effects of ABWE, the contents of phenolic compounds, and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) abilities were evaluated. Wound healing effects of ABWE were tested following 6-day exposure after induction of wound by applying 50% acetic acid to oral mucosa of Sprague-Dawley rats. Macroscopic and histopathological analyses were performed to determine wound healing effects of ABWE. Sodium fusidate (20 mg/g) was used as positive control. ABWE showed significantly high antioxidant effects in all assays, although its potency was weaker than the positive control. From day 3 after treatment, wound healing effects of ABWE were observed in oral mucosa. These wound healing effects were also consistent with histopathological evaluation results. Taken together, these results indicate that ABWE might have potential as an oral wound healing agent in the future.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.271-278
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• 2005

Reproductive and developmental toxicology is concerned with various physical or chemical agents interfering with fertility in both gender or normal growth of offsprings. Reproductive and developmental toxicology is rather a complex science, with many fields, i.e., various endpoints are involved and many different mechanisms of action. For that reason, diverse aspects must be considered when attempting to assess possible adverse health effects in the area of reproductive and developmental toxicology. The thalidomide tragedy made it clear to regulatory authorities around the world that systematic, comprehensive evaluation of the reproductive cycle was needed to adequately evaluate the potential of medicinal drugs to impair the process of reproduction or the development of embryos, fetuses, and children. International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for the Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) developed a guideline to assess the reproductive and developmental toxicity. Also these guidelines have since been applied to the detection and regulation of environmental toxicants, food additives, and so on. Although it was hoped that testing procedures of guideline would be updated constantly to reflect the current state of the science in reproductive and developmental toxicology, it was not until this decade that regulatory guidelines and testing methods have been altered in a significant way. In this paper, we would like to present the recommended approaches and recent trends for improvement of testing guidelines or experimental methods in reproductive and developmental toxicology.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제18권3호
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• pp.241-248
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• 2002

The present study was conducted to investigate the potential subacute toxicity of CJ-10882 by a 4-week repeated oral dose in dogs. The test article was administered once dally by gavage to dogs at dose levels of 0, 2, 10, and 50 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks. During the test period, clinical signs, mortality, body weights, food consumption, ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, gross finding, organ weight, and histopathology were evaluated. Several clinical sign were observed in treated dogs at 50 mg/kg, including salivation and vomiting. Increase in the serum level of ALT and albumin observed in the female 50 mg/kg group was considered as a toxic effect related to the test article since the histopathological change in Liver was accompanied. There were no treatment-related effects on mortality, food and water consumption, ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, hematology, serum biochemistry, necropsy findings and organ weights in any treatment group. Based on these results, target organ was not observed and the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) was 10 mg/kg/day and the absolute toxic dose was 50 mg/kg for both male and female dogs.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.51-56
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• 2012

A novel synthetic hexapeptide (SFKLRY-$NH_2$) that displays angiogenic activity has been identified by positional scanning of a synthetic peptide combinatorial library (PS-SPCL). This study was carried out to investigate the irritation of the SFKLRY-$NH_2$ on the skin. The tests were performed on the basis of Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) guidelines. In results, cell toxicity is not appeared for SFKLRY-$NH_2$ in HaCaT cells and B16F10 cells. SFKLRY-$NH_2$ induced no skin irritation at low concentration ($10{\mu}m$), mild irritation at high concentration (10mM). We consider that this result is helpful for saying about the safety of SFKLRY-$NH_2$ in clinical use.

• Toxicological Research
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.27-32
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• 2001

Korean ginseng products have been fumigated with ethylene oxide (EO) for sterilization and prolongation of storage periods. However, there had been controversies indicating that consumption of EO treated foods might cause harmful effects in human. In Korea, the use EO gas for food treatment was banned in 1991. Since then, irradiation technique has been developed as an alternative. This study was carried out to evaluate the safety of irradiated ginseng on embryo and fetal developmental toxicity effects in rats. Either EO gas fumigated or $\gamma$-irradiated ginseng was administered to pregnant Wistar rats by oral gavage from gestational day 7 to 17. The amount of irradiation used in this study was 5, 10 and 30 kGy, respectively. There were no treatment related changes of dams in deaths, clinical signs, food consumption and body/organ weight. No treatment related changes in implantation ratio, litter size, sex ratio and body/organ weight of fetuses were observed. Also, no F1fetuses with external, visceral, head and skeletal mal-formation were observed. The results of this study showed that $\gamma$-irradiated ginseng, up to 30 kGy, has no adverse effects on fetal development of rats.