Objective: 

The developmental toxicity of citric acid (E330) was investigated using the frog embryo teratogenesis assay-Xenopus (FETAX).

Methods: 

Xenopus laevis embryos were exposed to 11 different concentrations of E330, from stage 8 to 11, for 96 h under static renewal test conditions. The median lethal concentration (LC50), malformation (EC10), non-observed adverse effect concentration (NOAEC), and the lowest observed adverse effect concentration (LOAEC) and the Minimum Concentration to Inhibit Growth values (MCIG) were calculated.

Results: 

The corresponding LC50 and EC10 values determined for E330 exposure were 0.0124 and 0.015 g/L, respectively. Since EC50 value could not be determined, the TI (LC50/EC50) value of citric acid (E330) was not calculated. The NOAEC, LOAEC, MCIG values were calculated as 0.001, 0.01 and 0.0107 g/L, (p<0.001), respectively.

Conclusions: 

Abnormality rates of citric acid were not high on Xenopus embryos. Because the embryos of Xenopus were seen either alive or death. Based on these results, we conclude that using as 'Not Limited' Citric Acid may result essential preterm birth or abort on human being, and must be reevaluated. Moreover, our results confirm that the FETAX assay can be a useful pretest for integrated biological hazard assessment of chemical agents used in food industry.