Safety evaluation of water-soluble palm fruit bioactives

•Safety of water soluble “palm fruit bioactives” was assessed.•In vitro and in vivo genotoxicity studies as well as repeat dose rat toxicity studies conducted.•No genotoxic activity in the Ames or in vitro chromosome aberration assays.•In the rat, the NOAEL after 90 days of treatment with palm fruit bioactives was 2000 mg/kg bw/day, the highest dose tested.

Water-soluble palm fruit bioactives, derived from the aqueous stream of palm oil processing, have shown anti-diabetogenic effects in rodent models. To assess the safety of potential incorporation of this polyphenol-containing material in food, in vitro bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro chromosome aberration assays were conducted along with a 90-day subchronic toxicity study in Sprague-Dawley rats. Water-soluble palm fruit bioactives were inactive in the Ames and in vitro chromosome aberration assays up to the limit doses of 5000 μg/plate and 5000 μg/mL, respectively. In the 90-day feeding study, water-soluble palm fruit bioactives were administered via gavage at doses 0, 500, 1000 or 2000 mg/kg body weight/day. No significant effects were noted on body weight, food consumption, hematology, clinical chemistry, organ weights, and histopathological examination. The No Observable Adverse Effect Level was considered to be 2000 mg/kg body weight/day, the highest dose tested. These data provide evidence to support the safe use of water-soluble palm fruit bioactives in food or food ingredients.