Toxicological Evaluation for Food Applications of Transglutaminase from a Newly Isolated Bacillus circulans BL32

摘要

The present study aimed to submit the transglutaminase (TGase) from a Bacillus circulans strain isolated from the Amazon environment to in vivo and in vitro toxicological evaluations in order to assess its safety in food. The in vivo assay was assessed using male Wistar rats in a subacute 14 day oral feeding test using a liquid enzyme preparation administered to 150 U kg b.wt. day^-1. The evaluation of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and mutagenic effects of this microbial TGase was carried out using Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts cultured cells. No evidence of short term in vivo toxicity was found for the enzymatic preparation in the subacute 14 day oral toxicity study using white Wistar rats models, daily treated with 150 U kg b.wt. day^-1 of TGase preparation. Furthermore, there were no statistical differences between the groups for relative weight gain and for hematological and clinical chemistry values. Histopathological examination of liver, kidneys, spleen, thymus, adrenal glands, heart, lungs and brain did not reveal any treatment-related changes. In addition, it was not verified any evidence of cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and mutagenic effects of the simple application of 150 U treatment^-1 of this microbial TGase on Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts cultured cells. It can be concluded that no safety concerns were identified in this study for the BcTGase preparation produced under controlled cultivation conditions. Present results suggest that the microbial TGase from B. circulans BL32 is safe for food applications and has a potential for its industrial use.