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International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Summaries & Evaluations

AGARITINE

VOL.: 31 (1983) (p. 63)

CAS No.: 2757-90-6
Chem. Abstr. Name: L-Glutamic acid,5-[2-[4-(hydroxymethyl)phenyl]hydrazide]

5. Summary of Data Reported and Evaluation

5.1 Experimental data

Agaritine was tested for carcinogenicity in mice by administration in the drinking-water; no increase in the incidence of tumours was observed. N'-Acetyl-4-(hydroxymethyl)phenylhydrazine (a stable derivative of the hydrolysis product of agaritine) was tested in one experiment in mice by administration in the drinking-water, producing increased incidences of lung tumours and of blood-vessel tumours. 4-(Hydroxymethyl)benzenediazonium ion tetrafluoroborate (another stabilized hydrolysis product of agaritine) was tested in mice by subcutaneous injection, increasing the incidence of fibrosarcomas and of skin papillomas and carcinomas at the injection site.

Agaritine was weakly mutagenic in Salmonella typhimurium. The data were inadequate to evaluate the activity of agaritine in short-term tests.

No data were available to evaluate the teratogenicity of agaritine to experimental animals.

N.B. - Subsequent to the meeting, the Secretariat became aware of a study in which 4-(hydroxymethyl)benzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate was administered to Swiss mice as a single intragastric instillation of 400 mg/kg bw, producing glandular stomach tumours (Toth et al., 1982).

5.2 Human data

Agaritine is a natural substance found in several mushrooms of the Agaricus species, which are eaten both raw and cooked in many parts of the world.

No data were available to evaluate the teratogenicity or chromosomal effects of this compound in humans.

No case report or epidemiological study of the carcinogenicity of agaritine was available to the Working Group.

5.3 Evaluation

The results of one experiment in mice do not provide evidence of carcinogenicity of agaritine to experimental animals. There is limited evidence of the carcinogenicity of derivatives of two fungal metabolites of agaritine in experimental animals. In the absence of epidemiological data, no evaluation of the carcinogenicity of agaritine to humans could be made.

For definition of the italicized terms, see Preamble Evaluation.

Subsequent evaluation: Suppl. 7 (1987) (p. 56: Group 3)

Synonyms


Last updated: 16 April 1998




























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