Experimental Studies on Toxicity of Tin in Canned Orange Juice

Abstract

Vomiting and diarrhoea occurred in cats given a 10ml per kilogram dose of canned orange juice sample containing high concentration of tin (452ppm), which also developed intoxications in man. Increase of tin concentration by condensation of the sample resulted in an acceleration of onset of toxic manifestations, however, adjustment of pH value to neutral range appeared to have little effect on the development of gastro-intestinal disorders. Presence of tin as complex with citrate in the sample was suspected and the tin complex prepared from stannic chloride and sodium citrate was given to cats as aqueous solution at various doses. Administration of the complex with doses above 9mg tin per kilogram developed toxic effects in every animal tested. Toxic effects of the juice sample disappeared after removal of tin by hydrogen sulfide treatment, but symptoms appeared again following the addition of as much tin to the treated sample as pretreatment level. Thus high concentration of tin in orange juice was suspected to be a cause of intoxication.