The genotoxic activity of glycerol in an in vitro test battery

Introduction:
This text is a scientific study examining the genotoxic potential of glycerol, a common food additive and constituent of cigarettes, using a battery of short-term genotoxicity assays. The study tests glycerol for mutagenicity, unscheduled DNa synthesis, chromosome aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges, and gene mutations, both with and without metabolic activation. The study aims to determine if glycerol has genotoxic activity and poses a potential health hazard.

Key Points:

* Glycerol was tested in the ames Salmonella typhimurium mutagenesis assay, rat hepatocyte unscheduled DNa synthesis assay, Chinese hamster ovary (ChO) chromosome aberration assay, ChO sister chromatid exchange assay, and the ChO mammalian mutagenesis assay.
* all assays were conducted both with and without the addition of aroclor-induced rat liver S-9, except for the rat hepatocyte unscheduled DNa synthesis assay.
* The results of all tests were negative, showing that neither glycerol nor its metabolites have genotoxic activity in the battery of tests used.
* Glycerol is widely distributed in food and is used in cigarette manufacturing as a crystallization modifier, humectant, plasticizer, or rehydration agent.
* Glycerol is generally recognized as safe (GRaS) by the US Food and Drug administration.
* The study provides evidence that glycerol does not have intrinsic potential to cause DNa damage and may protect the DNa molecule from chemical or physical attack.
* Glycerol acts as a free-radical scavenger and inhibits the formation of single-strand DNa breaks by various agents, reducing the potential of X-rays to produce DNa strand breaks in human cells.

Main Message:
The study concludes that glycerol does not pose a genetic hazard and has no genotoxic potential. The results provide evidence that glycerol may protect the DNa molecule from chemical or physical attack, acting as a free-radical scavenger and inhibiting the formation of single-strand DNa breaks by various agents. The study supports the classification of glycerol as a GRaS substance by the US Food and Drug administration.

Doolittle, D.J., D.a. Lee, and C.K. Lee. “The Genotoxic activity of Glycerol in an in Vitro Test Battery.” Food and Chemical Toxicology 26, no. 7 (January 1988): 631–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-6915(88)90234-7.