National Toxicology Program

Selected toxicity information from HSDB, one of the National Library of Medicine's databases. ¹

Names (NTP)

• Carminic acid
• 7-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYL-9,10-DIHYDRO-3,5,6,8-TETRAHYDROXY-1-METHYL-9,10-DIOXO-2-ANTHRACENECARBOXYLIC ACID (9CI)

Human Toxicity Excerpts

• None found

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Non-Human Toxicity Excerpts

• CELL PROLIFERATION, MORPHOLOGY & METABOLISM OF CHICKEN & MAMMALIAN EMBRYONIC MYOCARDIAL & TENDON TISSUE WAS NOT AFFECTED BY 25-5000 UG/ML OF CARMINE OR CARMINIC ACID IN CULTURE MEDIUM. [MARZONA L ET AL; EXPERIENTIA 33(6) 755 (1977)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• THE TOXICITY OF COMMERCIAL NATURAL DYES WAS STUDIED ON PARAMECIUM CAUDATUM. LOW CONCN OF CARMINIC ACID INHIBITED GAMMA-GLUTAMYL TRANSPEPTIDASE ACTIVITY COMPLETELY. [SAKO F ET AL; J FOOD HYG SOC JPN 22(3) 209 (1981)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• TWENTY-FIVE DYES WERE STUDIED FOR ABILITIES TO CAUSE DNA DAMAGE & MUTATIONS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI WP2 UVR A & SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM TA1538. NO DETECTABLE EFFECTS WERE OBSERVED FOR CARMINIC ACID ADMIN AT 10% VOL/VOL. [HAVELAND-SMITH RB ET AL; FOOD COSMET TOXICOL 18: 215 (1980)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• INJECTIONS OF 0.5% CARMINIC ACID & LACTIC ACID (2.8%) IN DISTILLED WATER INTO TRANSPLANTED SC TUMORS OF JENSEN RATS INHIBITED TUMOR GROWTH IN 68% OF RATS. AFTER 2-3 WK TUMORS ELIMINATED THROUGH SKIN. [MIHAIL N ET AL, NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 57(10) 500 (1970)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• IMMUNE ENHANCEMENT IN MICE AGAINST SALMONELLA ENTERITIDIS BY CARMINIC ACID & SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS WITH TETRACYCLINE & WITH ADRIAMYCIN WERE DETERMINED. [ANTHRAQUINONECARBOXYLATES AS IMMUNE ADJUVANTS & NEOPLASM INHIBITORS; JPN KOKAI TOKKYO KOHO PATENT 81 43210 04/21/81 (HAYASHI, ESAWA)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• CARIMINC ACID WAS FOUND TO BE POTENT FEEDING DETERRENT TO ANTS, SUGGESTING THAT ANTHRAQUINONES GENERALLY, INCL MANY PRODUCED BY PLANTS, MIGHT BE SIMILARLY DETERRENT TO INSECTS. [EISNER T; TOXICOLOGY RESEARCH PROJECTS DIRECTORY 6(11) (1981)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  
• The potential genotic activity of carminic acid a component of natural red coloring products used in food, cosmetics and drugs, has been evaluated by means of a series of short term tests in vitro and in vivo, namely Salmonella reverse mutation, chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges in vitro on Chinese hamster ovary cells, and the mouse micronucleus test. All studies have produced negative results. The data obtained strongly support the non-mutagenic/noncarcinogenic activity of this compound. Genotoxicity data previously obtained for carminic acid, concerning the induction of a series of other genetic endpoints in different test systems, have also been considered, as have recent findings that indicate lack of carcinogenic activity in the cochineal preparation containing 29.8% carminic acid. [Loprieno G et al; Food Chem Toxicol 30 (9): 759-64 (1992)]**PEER REVIEWED**
  

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Human Toxicity Values

• None found

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Non-Human Toxicity Values

• None found

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Absorption, Distribution and Excretion

• None found

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Metabolism/Metabolites

• None found

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TSCA Test Submissions

• None found

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Footnotes

¹ Source: the National Library of Medicine's Hazardous Substance Database, 10/28/2007.