A comparison of the toxicity of some allyl, propenyl, and propyl compounds in the rat

Abstract

Summary The toxicity in the rat of a number of allyl, propenyl, propyl, and related compounds has been compared using as criteria the acute oral toxicity and the hepatotoxicity in a short-term, high-dose study. The results of these studies indicated: 1. Aliphatic allyl compounds (allyl alcohol and allyl esters) were much more acutely toxic than aliphatic propyl compounds (propanol and propyl esters). 2. The aliphatic allyl compounds caused macroscopic liver lesions, the most significant of which was necrosis; the propyl compounds were not hepatotoxic. 3. Aromatic allyl compounds were more toxic than aromatic propyl compounds, but the difference was not as marked as with the aliphatic allyl and propyl compounds. Aromatic propenyl compounds were usually, but not always, more toxic than aromatic allyl compounds. 4. The nature of other substituents on the benzene ring influenced the hepatotoxicity of the aromatic allyl, propenyl, and propyl compounds. Allylbenzene was not hepatotoxic. Safrole, isosafrole, and dihydrosafrole—the allyl, propenyl, and propyl derivatives of methylenedioxybenzene—caused severe liver lesions consisting of discoloration, enlargement, and loss of normal texture. The hepatotoxicity of these compounds appeared to be independent of the nature of the 3-carbon side chain, but both the 3-carbon side chain and the methylenedioxy group appeared to be necessary for the hepatotoxic action. Mild liver lesions, discoloration, mottling, and blunting of the lobe edges were seen with a number of the other aromatic compounds tested, but the occurrence of these lesions was not related to a particular structure.