Genotoxicity evaluation of balanced nutritional food for patients pasteurized by gamma irradiation at 4 kGy

This study was conducted to evaluate the genotoxicity of balanced nutritional formular for patients containing various ingredients after gamma irradiation at 4 kGy. Since viable bacteria were not observed within the detection limit of 1 log CFU/g, a dose of 4 kGy was appropriate for the pasteurization of the formular. In a bacterial reverse mutation assay, both hot water and methanol extracts of the formular exhibited dose-independent responses, which was similar to those obtained from that of the negative control (distilled water or dimethyl sulfoxide). In a chromosomal aberration test using lung fibroblast cells of Chinese hamster, the numbers of normal chromosomes were comparable to those observed in the negative control, regardless of the treatment dose and metabolic activation system. Furthermore, no significant increases in the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes were observed relative to the control, when mice were fed with the formular at doses up to 2,000 mg/kg body weight. Therefore, the balanced nutritional formular for patients did not exhibit genotoxicity when pasteurization by gamma irradiation at 4 kGy.