A 90-DAY FEEDING STUDY OF LUPIN (LUPINUS-ANGUSTIFOLIUS) FLOUR SPIKED WITH LUPIN ALKALOIDS IN THE RAT

Three groups of 20 male and 20 female Sprague-Dawley rats were given d iets based on lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) flour (55.4 g/100 g diet) that had been spiked to provide dietary concentrations of 250, 1050 or 5050 mg lupin alkaloids/kg diet. A control group of 20 males and 20 f emales received 50 mg/kg (derived from the background level of alkaloi d in lupin flour). The rats were treated for a minimum of 90-98 days. A dose-related reduction in red blood cell count and haematocrit (HCT) occurred in both sexes after 45 days, and the mean cell volume (MCV) was decreased in all the male treatment groups. The reductions in HCT and MCV persisted in the males until termination of the study when dec reased haemoglobin levels were also observed in the top-dose males. Th e relative liver weights of female rats showed a dose-related increase . Altered foci of liver parenchymal cells were seen in five females re ceiving dietary levels of 5050 mg/kg, in one female fed 250 mg/kg and in one male from each of the 250 mg/kg and 1050 mg/kg treatment groups . No foci were seen in the control group. Basophilic foci are uncommon in young rats suggesting that the low incidence in this study is comp ound related. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd