Genotoxicity tests on D-tagatose

D-Tagatose is a low-calorie sweetener that tastes like sucrose. Its genotox ic potential was examined in five standard assays: the Ames Salmonella typh imurium reverse mutation assay, the Escherichia coli/mammalian microsome as say, a chromosomal aberration assay in Chinese hamster ovary cells, a mouse lymphoma forward mutation assay, and an in vivo mouse micronucleus assay. D-Tagatose was not found to increase the number of revertants per plate rel ative to vehicle controls in either the S. typhimurium tester strains or th e WP2uvrA- tester strain with or without metabolic activation at doses up t o 5000 mu g/plate. No significant increase in Chinese hamster ovary cells w ith chromosomal aberrations was observed at concentrations up to 5000 mu g/ ml with or without metabolic activation. D-Tagatose was not found to increa se the mutant frequency in mouse lymphoma L5178Y cells with or without meta bolic activation up to concentrations of 5000 mu g/ml. D-Tagatose caused no significant increase in micronuclei in bone marrow polychromatic erythrocy tes at doses up to 5000 mg/kg. D-Tagatose was not found to be genotoxic und er the conditions of any of the assays described above. (C) 1999 Academic P ress.