Three-generation Reproduction Study on Furylfuramide in Mice

Abstract

Furylfuramide (2-(2-furyl)-3-(5-nitro-2-furyl) acrylamide) is a chemical which had been used widely in such foods as soybean caud, fish paste product and fish sausage as a food preservative in Japan from 1965 to 1974. The effects of furylfuramide on pregnant mice, fetuses and neonates were studies in ICR: JCL mice for three generations.Furylfuramide at dietary concentations of 0.1 or 0.5% was fed to both male and female weanling mice (F0). Thereafter the same dietary concentrations were administered continuously to each generation until F2 offspring were 60 days of age.Hepatic enlargement and degenerative hepatic changes were consistently found in the treated dams and their offspring. High mortality in F1 neonates and poor conception in F1 dams occurred in the group fed 0.5% furylfuramide. Suppression of body weight gain was also observed in pregnant mice and offspring at the 0.5% level. However, continuous administration of furylfuramide for three generations did not increase fetal mortality nor did it cause major malformations.