In Vitro Genotoxicity Assessment of Functional Ingredients: Betaine, Choline, and Taurine

• Published in: Foods Vol. 10; no. 2; p. 339
• Main Authors: Sanz-Serrano, Julen, Vettorazzi, Ariane, Muruzabal, Damian, Azqueta, Amaya, López de Cerain, Adela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 05.02.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Agricultural development; Ames test; Baby foods; Betaine; Bioassays; Choline; Comet assay; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA glycosylase; Endonuclease; Food additives; Food safety; Food science; Functional foods & nutraceuticals; functional ingredients; Genotoxicity; Genotoxicity testing; Ingredients; Medical research; Metabolism; mutagenicity; Mutation; Nutrients; Penicillin; Salmonella; Taurine; United States > US; Germany; United Kingdom > UK; genotoxicity; choline; mutagenicity; Ames test; comet assay; micronucleus test; functional ingredients; taurine; betaine
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods10020339

This article focuses on a complete in vitro genotoxicity assessment of three nutrients widely used as functional ingredients in the European market: betaine, choline, and taurine. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) tiered approach for food additives in concordance with the safety assessment of chemicals in food developed by Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) was followed; the miniaturized Ames test in TA97a, TA98, TA100, TA102, and TA1535 strains (following the principles of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 471), and the micronucleus test (OECD 487) in TK6 cells were performed. In addition, the in vitro standard and enzyme-modified (human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG), endonuclease III (EndoIII), 3-alkyladenine DNA glycosylase (hAAG)) comet assay (S9-/S9+) was conducted in order to assess the potential premutagenic lesions in TK6 cells. None of the compounds produced any signs of genotoxicity in any of the conditions tested. This article increases the limited evidence available and complements the EFSA recommendations for the in vitro genotoxicity testing of nutrients.