Ninety-day dietary toxicity study of apple polyphenol extracts in Crl: CD (SD) rats

To examine the safety of Dietary Applephenon® (AP) in feed, Crl: CD (SD) rats of each sex were divided into four groups and given diets containing AP at 0%, 1.25%, 2.5%, or 5.0% for 90 days. All rats survived and toxic changes were not observed throughout the study. Body weight and food efficiency in the 5.0% AP group of both sexes were significantly decreased compared with that in controls. These changes were considered to be caused by the physiological effects of AP (including the inhibitory effects on pancreatic lipase activity). Slight hypertrophy in acinar cells in the parotid and submandibular glands appeared in the 2.5% and 5.0% groups. These were suggested not to be toxicological but physiologic adaptive responses to oral stimuli by the lower pH of AP-containing diets. In conclusion, dietary AP in feed, up to a maximum level of 5.0% for 90 days, given to rats did not induce toxicological effects.