EFSA confirms the toxicity of hydroxyanthracene derivatives in food

In accordance with Article 31 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, the European Commission asked EFSA to assess whether the data from two new scientific publications presented by the Italian society of toxicology were sufficient to revise their conclusions on the safety of hydroxyanthracene derivatives in foods.

1. The results of the study with aloe-emodin were considered inconclusive for the induction of DNA strand breaks with the standard comet assay protocol. Results obtained with the modified comet assay protocol with a lesion-specific enzyme (hOGG1) suggest that aloe‐emodin can induce oxidative DNA damage in colon cells in vivo.
2. The absence of DNA damage observed in the Aloe ferox juice study was considered of little relevance with respect to the genotoxicity of hydroxyanthracene derivatives, due to the low concentrations of hydroxyanthracene derivatives and the potential antagonistic effect of other components present in the juice (for example, antioxidants).

Thus, the two studies by Galli et al. (2021 a & b) do not justify a revision of the conclusions of the EFSA ANS Panel on the safety of hydroxyanthracene derivatives for food use.

To know more, you can consult:

• the technical report by the EFSA,
• the 2 studies of the Italian society of toxicology by Gali et al. ; 2021a on Aloe-emodin and 2021b on Aloe ferox,
• and EFSA opinion on the safety of hydroxyanthracene derivatives in foods 2018.

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