A Pilot Safety Assessment for Recombinant <i>Epinephelus lanceolatus</i> Piscidin Yeast Powder as a Drug Food Additive after Subacute and Subchronic Administration to SD Rats

• Main Authors: Bor-Chyuan Su, Chao-Chin Li, Chia-Wen Liu, Jyh-Yih Chen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
• Series: Marine Drugs
• Subjects: recombinant <i>Epinephelus lanceolatus</i> piscidin; yeast powder; safety assessment; subacute toxicity; subchronic toxicity; SD rats
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/18/12/586

Recombinant <i>Epinephelus lanceolatus</i> piscidin (RELP) was previously shown to improve growth performance and immune response when used as a feed additive for<i> Gallus gallus domesticus</i>. However, the long-term toxicity of RELP has not be thoroughly investigated. In the present study, we evaluated the subacute and subchronic oral toxicities of RELP in SD rats by hematological, biochemical, and histopathological analyses. To determine subacute and subchronic toxicities, male and female rats were fed with RELP 1000 mg/kg bodyweight/day for 28 and 90 days, respectively. Bodyweight and food intake were unchanged by RELP treatment over the course of the studies. After exposure, samples of blood, heart, lung, liver, and kidney were collected and analyzed. Results demonstrated that RELP exposure did not cause any observable hematological, biochemical, or histological abnormalities in SD rats. Thus, RELP may be a safe feed additive for use in agriculture and aquaculture.