[Biological effects and toxicology studies of melamine and its derivative cyanuric acid]

Melamine (Tripolycyanamide) and its derivatives have recently become a public concern on food safety. To better understand melamine and its major derivative cyanuric acid.literature on their chemical properties, metabolism, biological effects, relevant toxicology studies, and the detection methods is reviewed. Studies indicate that the acute toxicity of melamine and cyanuric acid is low. In mammalian, these compounds are hardly metabolized in vivo and are rapidly eliminated in the urine. When used in large dosage,these compounds demonstrate marked renal toxicity,as well as toxic effect towards heart. The renal toxicity is exemplified by the calculi formation, acute renal failure, and subsequently induced carcinomas of the urinary bladder. Among the tested species, male cats and rats are more prone to be affected by the compounds. The HPLC/MS/MS is becoming the mainstay of the detection methods. Despite of the achieved knowledge on melamine and cyanuric acid, further research is warranted to unveil the mechanism of underlying susceptibility of kidney, to develop better analytic methods,and to explore possible biomarkers for better clinical diagnosis.