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Long-term antioxidant exposure effects on female primates
Archives of Environmental Health
|January 1, 1976
Summary
This study found that dietary butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) did not negatively impact rhesus monkey reproduction or infant development. Long-term antioxidant exposure showed no adverse effects on health, growth, or behavior in adults or offspring.
Area of Science:
- Toxicology
- Reproductive Science
- Primate Studies
Background:
- Antioxidants like butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are common food additives.
- Assessing the long-term reproductive and developmental safety of these compounds is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of chronic dietary exposure to BHA and BHT on the reproductive capacity and offspring health of adult female rhesus monkeys.
Main Methods:
- Adult female rhesus monkeys were fed a diet containing 100 mg/kg/day of BHA and BHT for two years.
- Monkeys were bred after one year of exposure to males on an unmodified diet.
- Offspring and adults were monitored for clinical abnormalities, reproductive outcomes, infant growth, hemograms, and behavior for two years post-exposure.
Main Results:
- No clinical abnormalities were observed in adult females during the two-year exposure period.
- Gestation and natural deliveries were uncomplicated.
- Infants born to exposed mothers exhibited normal growth rates, hemograms, and behavior comparable to control infants.
- Both adult females and their offspring remained healthy throughout the two-year evaluation period.
Conclusions:
- Chronic dietary intake of BHA and BHT at the tested levels is safe for reproduction and does not adversely affect the development or health of rhesus monkey offspring.
- These findings support the safety of BHA and BHT as food additives concerning reproductive and developmental endpoints in primates.