Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the toxicity and safety of tobacco seed oil in mice. METHODS: Mice were orally exposed to tobacco seed oil for 14 and 30 days according to Care Food Inspection and Evaluation of Technical Specifications. Three genetic toxicology tests were used to evaluate mutagenic effects. In addition thirty day feeding test was conducted to detect sub-chronic toxicity. RESULTS: There was no evidence of toxicity or death in mice within 14 day,which indicated the median lethal dose (LD₅₀) was more than 21 500 mg/kg. In the Ames test,the revertant colonies numbers in each dose group were two times less than the numbers of spontaneous revertant colonies,and no dose- response relationship occurred. Four bacterial strains did not show positive results with or without S9 activation. In the mouse bone marrow cell micronucleus test,the rates from the exposed groups were similar to that of the negative control group (P>0.05). In the mouse bone marrow cell chromosome aberration test,the rates from the exposed groups were no significantly difference with the negative control group. After feeding for 30 days,there was no poisoning and death in the exposed mice. There was no significant difference from the control group in body weight,food utilization,organ-body ratios,and blood biochemical indexes. Histopathologic examination showed that fat vacuoles were observed in the liver tissue of high-dose group,but the other main organs of mice in the other groups had no pathological changes. CONCLUSION: Tobacco seed oil was non-toxic and did not show potentially mutagenic effects and sub-chronic toxicity within the text doses.

Key words: tobacco seed oil, safety, acute toxicity test, genetic toxicity test, mutagenesis, 30 days feeding test