NTP Technical Report on the Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Kava Kava Extract (CAS No. 9000-38-8) in F344/N Rats and B6C3F1 Mice (Gavage Studies)

摘要

Kava beverages, made from dried roots of the shrub Piper methysticum, have been used ceremonially and socially in the South Pacific and in Europe since the 1700s. The drink is reported to have pleasant mild psychoactive effects, similar to alcoholic beverages. In the United States, kava kava is an herbal product used extensively as an alternative to anti-anxiety drugs such as Xanax and Valium. It has also been reported as being used to help children with hyperactivity and as a skin-conditioning agent in cosmetics. Kava kava was nominated by the National Cancer Institute for study because of its increasing use as a dietary supplement in the mainstream United States market and reports of liver toxicity among humans. Male and female F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice received kava kava extract in corn oil by gavage for 2 weeks, 3 months, or 2 years. Genetic toxicology studies wereconducted in Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and mouse peripheral blood erythrocytes.