Hydroxytoluic acid

Genetic toxicity: in vitro

Administrative data

Endpoint:

in vitro gene mutation study in bacteria

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Reliability:

1 (reliable without restriction)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

guideline study

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

study report

Title:

Unnamed

Year:

2018

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Test guideline 1

Qualifier:

according to guideline

Guideline:

OECD Guideline 471 (Bacterial Reverse Mutation Assay)

Version / remarks:

adopted July 21, 1997

Deviations:

no

Test guideline 2

Qualifier:

according to guideline

Guideline:

EU Method B.13/14 (Mutagenicity - Reverse Mutation Test Using Bacteria)

Version / remarks:

dated May 30, 2008

Deviations:

no

GLP compliance:

yes (incl. QA statement)

Type of assay:

bacterial reverse mutation assay

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Hydroxytoluic acid

EC Number:

201-473-8

EC Name:

Hydroxytoluic acid

Cas Number:

83-40-9

Molecular formula:

C8H8O3

IUPAC Name:

hydroxytoluic acid

Test material form:

solid

Method

Target gene:

histidine

Species / strain

Species / strain 1

Species / strain / cell type:

S. typhimurium TA 1535, TA 1537, TA 98 and TA 100

Species / strain 2

Species / strain / cell type:

E. coli WP2 uvr A

Metabolic activation:

with and without

Metabolic activation system:

rat liver homogenate metabolizing system (10% liver S9 in standard co-factors)

Test concentrations with justification for top dose:

3; 10; 33; 100; 333; 1000; 2500 and 5000 µg/plate (Pre-Experiment/Experiment I)
3; 10; 33; 100; 333; 1000 and 5000 µg/plate (Experiment II, strain WP2 uvrA)
33; 100; 333; 1000; 2500 and 5000 µg/plate (Experiment II, remaining strains)

Vehicle / solvent:

- Vehicle(s)/solvent(s) used: DMSO
- Justification for choice of solvent/vehicle: The solvent was chosen because of its solubility properties and its relative nontoxicity to the bacteria.

Controls

Untreated negative controls:

yes

Remarks:

untreated

Negative solvent / vehicle controls:

yes

Remarks:

DMSO

True negative controls:

no

Positive controls:

yes

Positive control substance:

sodium azide

methylmethanesulfonate

other: 4-nitro-o-phenylene-diamine; 2-aminoanthracene

Details on test system and experimental conditions:

METHOD OF APPLICATION: in agar (plate incorporation)

DURATION
- Exposure duration: 48h

SELECTION AGENT (mutation assays):
Plates with selective agar (without histidine/tryptophan) were used.

NUMBER OF REPLICATIONS: For each strain and dose level, including the controls, three plates were used.

DETERMINATION OF CYTOTOXICITY
- Method: Toxicity of the test item results in a reduction in the number of spontaneous revertants or a clearing of the bacterial background lawn.

- OTHER
- Study controls: The solvent (vehicle) control used was dimethyl sulphoxide. The negative (untreated) controls were performed to assess the spontaneous revertant colony rate. The solvent and negative controls were performed in triplicate.
The positive control items used demonstrated a direct and indirect acting mutagenic effect depending on the presence or absence of metabolic activation. The positive controls were performed in triplicate.
- Concentrations of positive controls:
Sodium azide (NaN3) - 10µg/plate for TA 1535 and TA 100
4-Nitro-o-phenylene-diamine (4-NOPD) - 10 μg/plate for TA98, 50 μg/plate for TA1537
Methyl methane sulfonate (MMS) - 2 μg/plate for WP2 uvrA
2-Aminoanthracene (2AA) - 10 μg/plate for WP2 uvrA, 2.5 μg/plate for TA 98, TA 100, TA1535 and TA1537

Evaluation criteria:

A test item is considered as a mutagen if a biologically relevant increase in the number of revertants of twice or above (strains TA 98, TA 100, and WP2 uvrA) or of thrice or above (strains TA 1535 and TA 1537) the spontaneous mutation rate of the corresponding solvent control is observed.
A dose dependent increase is considered biologically relevant if the threshold is reached or exceeded at more than one concentration.
An increase of revertant colonies equal or above the threshold at only one concentration is judged as biologically relevant if reproduced in an independent second experiment.
A dose dependent increase in the number of revertant colonies below the threshold is regarded as an indication of a mutagenic potential if reproduced in an independent second experiment. However, whenever the colony counts remain within the historical range of negative and solvent controls such an increase is not considered biologically relevant.

Statistics:

According to the OECD guideline 471, a statistical analysis of the data is not mandatory.

Results and discussion

Test results

Key result

Species / strain:

other: S. typhimurium TA 1537, TA 98, TA 100 and TA 1535; E. coli WP2 uvrA

Metabolic activation:

with and without

Genotoxicity:

negative

Cytotoxicity / choice of top concentrations:

cytotoxicity

Vehicle controls validity:

valid

Untreated negative controls validity:

not examined

Positive controls validity:

valid

Additional information on results:

TEST-SPECIFIC CONFOUNDING FACTORS
- Precipitation: No precipitation of the test item occurred up to the highest investigated dose.

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Conclusions:

The study was conducted under GLP according to OECD guideline 471 on the registered substance itself. The method is to be considered scientifically reasonable with no deficiencies in documentation or any deviations, the validity criteria are fulfilled, positive and negative controls gave the appropriate response. Hence, the results can be considered as reliable to assess the potential of the test item to induce reverse mutations in bacteria. During the described mutagenicity test and under the experimental conditions reported, the test item did not induce gene mutations by base pair changes or frameshifts in the genome of the strains used.

Executive summary:

This study (OECD 471, GLP) was performed to investigate the potential of Hydroxytoluic acid to induce gene mutations according to the plate incorporation test (experiment I) and the pre-incubation test (experiment II) using the Salmonella typhimurium strains TA 1535, TA 1537, TA 98, TA 100, and the Escherichia coli strain WP2 uvrA.

The assay was performed in two independent experiments both with and without liver microsomal activation. Each concentration, including the controls, was tested in triplicate. The test item was tested at the following concentrations:

Pre-Experiment/Experiment I:

3; 10; 33; 100; 333; 1000; 2500; and 5000 µg/plate

Experiment II:

Strain WP2 uvrA: 3, 10; 33; 100; 333; 1000; and 2500 µg/plate

The remaining strains: 33; 100; 333; 1000; 2500; and 5000 µg/plate

No precipitation of the test item occurred up to the highest investigated dose.

The plates incubated with the test item showed reduced background in all strains used.

Toxic effects, evident as a reduction in the number of revertants (below the indication factor of 0.5), occurred in all strains used.

No substantial increase in revertant colony numbers of any of the five tester strains was observed following treatment with Hydroxytoluic acid at any dose level, neither in the presence nor absence of metabolic activation (S9 mix). There was also no tendency of higher mutation rates with increasing concentrations in the range below the generally acknowledged border of biological relevance.

Appropriate reference mutagens were used as positive controls and showed a distinct increase of induced revertant colonies.

In conclusion, it can be stated that during the described mutagenicity test and under the experimental conditions reported, the test item did not induce gene mutations by base pair changes or frameshifts in the genome of the strains used.

Therefore, Hydroxytoluic acid is considered to be non-mutagenic in this Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli reverse mutation assay.