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.