• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.105-117
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• 1993

The objective of this investigation was to characterize the subacute toxic potency of orally administered poly(sodium acrylic acid-acrylic acid), super absorbent polymer. Four groups of rats were maintained on diets containing 0, 1.25, 2.5 or 5% of poly(sodium acrylic acid-acrylic acid). The mean dosages of poly(sodium acrylic acid-acrylic acid) were estimated to be 1025 mg/kg/day, 2009 mg/kg/day and 4728 mg/kg/day in the male groups. The estimated average dosages of poly(sodium acrylic acid-acrylic acid) in the female groups were 1011 mg/kg/day, 2088 mg /kg/day and 4576 mg/kg/day, respectively. Few test compound-related toxic effects were observed in body weight gain, clinical signs, hematological parameters and serum biochemical values. Urinalyses, gross necropsy and histopathology revealed no evidence of specific toxicity. Food and water consumption tended to increase in the animals fed the diet of 2.5% and 5%. Our data indicate that no-observed effect level of poly(sodium acrylic acid-acrylic acid) was estimated to be 1.25% in the diet (mean dosage: 1025 mg/kg/day in male rats, 1011 mg/kg/day in female rats).