Safety evaluation of Zanthoxylum piperitum-derived essential oil by assessing micronucleus abnormalities, mutagenicity, and chromosomal aberration

Abstract

Zanthoxylum piperitum, an important aromatic and medicinal plant, is widely used as a spice, diuretic, and abdominal ailment remedy in East Asia. Z. piperitum-derived essential oil contains myrcene, octanal, d-limonene, linalool, and octanal. These compounds have been used as antimicrobial agents against foodborne pathogens. We evaluated the potential health risks of Z. piperitum-derived essential oil, based on bone marrow micronucleus, bacterial reverse mutation, and chromosome aberration tests. Mice were orally dosed with the essential oil at concentrations of 250, 500, and 1000mg/kg body wt/d for 2days. After euthanizing the mice, polychromatic, normochromatic, and micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes were counted. Mutagenicity was evaluated using histidine-requiring Salmonella typhimurium and tryptophan-requiring Escherichia coli. In vitro chromosome aberration assays of Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells were conducted to evaluate genotoxicity. Dosing levels of 250 to 1000mg/kg body wt/d did not produce any significant differences in polychromatic, normochromatic, and micronucleated polychromatic erythrocyte counts. Levels of 31–1000μg/plate did not induce mutagenicity in S. typhimurium and E. coli, with or without the introduction of a metabolic activation system. Significant chromosomal aberration was not observed in CHL cells incubated for 6h in concentrations of 100–425μg/mL, with or without a metabolic activation system. These results indicate that ingesting Z. piperitum-derived essential oil produces no bone marrow micronucleus abnormalities, mutagenicity, or chromosomal aberration.