CHRONIC (1-YEAR) ORAL TOXICITY STUDY OF ERYTHRITOL IN DOGS

The chronic oral toxicity of erythritol was examined by feeding erythr itol at dietary levels of 0 (controls), 2, 5, or 10% to groups of four male and four female dogs for 53 weeks. Erythritol was well tolerated at all dose levels without evidence of diarrhea. Water consumption wa s slightly higher in the high-dose group than in controls. Body weight s and weight gains were not affected by treatment. There were no clini cally relevant changes in hematological or clinicochemical parameters attributable to treatment. In particular, plasma electrolyte concentra tions remained unaffected. Evaluation of a number of urinary parameter s (including electrolytes and renal enzymes) was hampered by widely va rying urine volumes among individual dogs; however, the available data did not indicate treatment-related effects on the urinary excretion o f electrolytes (K+, Na+, Mg2+, and P-i) or enzymes (gamma-glutamyltran speptidase, N-acetyl glucosaminidase, and lactate dehydrogenase). Quan titation of erythritol in the urine demonstrated that 50 to 80% of the ingested dose was absorbed and excreted in the urine. Analysis of ter minal organ weights did not reveal treatment-related differences. No h istopathological changes attributable to treatment were observed in th e kidneys or in any other organ or tissue examined. It was concluded t hat daily erythritol consumption of up to 3.5 g/kg body wt was well to lerated by dogs. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.