EFSA Compendium of Botanicals

Draft - work in progress

Brazil nut (as plant) // Barthollesia excelsa Silva Manso // Bertholletia excelsa Bonpl. // Bertholletia nobilis Miers

Family:: Lecythidaceae
Approval state:: Approved
Number of articles retrieved:: 667
Number of processed references:: 2

Compositions

#1: selenium #2: selenium #3: selenium #4: Gallotannins

Endpoint Studies

#1: The evidence demonstrates that the selenium in Brazil -nuts is linked to liver toxicity #2: The evidence demonstrates that the selenium in Brazil -nuts is linked to spleen toxicity #3: The evidence demonstrates that the selenium in Brazil -nuts is linked to kidney toxicity

Genotoxicity

Composition #1: Palmer, Ivan S., Herr, Ailene., Nelson, Terri. Toxicity of selenium in brazil nuts to rats. Journal of Food Science, 1982, p. 1595–1597. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Seed (as part-nature) (A066P)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

hexane
Substance:

Selenium (Se) (RF-00000184-CHE)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Qualitative Value (Binary) (BIN)
Internal remarks:

selenium

Composition #2: Palmer, Ivan S., Herr, Ailene., Nelson, Terri. Toxicity of selenium in brazil nuts to rats. Journal of Food Science, 1982, p. 1595–1597. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Seed (as part-nature) (A066P)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

hexane
Substance:

Selenium (Se) (RF-00000184-CHE)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Qualitative Value (Binary) (BIN)
Internal remarks:

selenium

Composition #3: Palmer, Ivan S., Herr, Ailene., Nelson, Terri. Toxicity of selenium in brazil nuts to rats. Journal of Food Science, 1982, p. 1595–1597. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Seed (as part-nature) (A066P)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

hexane
Substance:

Selenium (Se) (RF-00000184-CHE)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Qualitative Value (Binary) (BIN)
Internal remarks:

selenium

Composition #4: Saunois, Alex., Dumas, Marc., Petit, Veronique., Bonte, Frederic. Phytochemical analysis of Bertholletia excelsa pericarp and its activity on fibroblast L-ascorbic acid intracellular transport. revista boliviana de quimica, 2001, p. 53–58. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Seed (as part-nature) (A066P)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Substance:

Gallotannins (RF-00013316-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Gaschromatography (GC) (F037A)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Qualitative Value (Binary) (BIN)
Internal remarks:

Gallotannins

Endpoint study #1: Palmer, Ivan S., Herr, Ailene., Nelson, Terri. Toxicity of selenium in brazil nuts to rats. Journal of Food Science, 1982, p. 1595–1597. .

Study relevance:

Human health
Substance:

Selenium (Se) (RF-00000184-CHE)
Plant part:

Seed (as part-nature) (A066P)
Type of toxicological test:

subchronic (CHD013TT)
Tested organism:

Rat (as animal) (A0CNV)
Strain of test organism:

Sprague-Dawley (CHD012ST)
Sex:

No data
Route of exposure:

ORAL: FEED (OECD2230PL)
Exposure duration:

4.0
Unit of exposure duration:

Week (G205A)
Number of organisms dosed:

60
Control groups used:

yes
Endpoint measured:

Dose not reported (CHD066EP)
Critical effect:

HEPATOTOXICITY (TOX02A)
Target tissue:

digestive: Liver (TT023A)
Effect description:

liver damage + decreased liver weight
Effect or parameter linked to the endpoint:

organ weights (CHD012BE)
Internal remarks:

The evidence demonstrates that the selenium in Brazil -nuts is linked to liver toxicity

Endpoint study #2: Palmer, Ivan S., Herr, Ailene., Nelson, Terri. Toxicity of selenium in brazil nuts to rats. Journal of Food Science, 1982, p. 1595–1597. .

Study relevance:

Human health
Substance:

Selenium (Se) (RF-00000184-CHE)
Plant part:

Seed (as part-nature) (A066P)
Type of toxicological test:

subchronic (CHD013TT)
Tested organism:

Rat (as animal) (A0CNV)
Strain of test organism:

Sprague-Dawley (CHD012ST)
Sex:

No data
Route of exposure:

ORAL: FEED (OECD2230PL)
Exposure duration:

4.0
Unit of exposure duration:

Week (G205A)
Number of organisms dosed:

60
Control groups used:

yes
Endpoint measured:

Dose not reported (CHD066EP)
Critical effect:

Other toxicities (TOX19A)
Target tissue:

Digestive (TT002A)
Effect description:

increased spleen weight
Effect or parameter linked to the endpoint:

organ weights (CHD012BE)
Internal remarks:

The evidence demonstrates that the selenium in Brazil -nuts is linked to spleen toxicity

Endpoint study #3: Palmer, Ivan S., Herr, Ailene., Nelson, Terri. Toxicity of selenium in brazil nuts to rats. Journal of Food Science, 1982, p. 1595–1597. .

Study relevance:

Human health
Substance:

Selenium (Se) (RF-00000184-CHE)
Plant part:

Seed (as part-nature) (A066P)
Type of toxicological test:

subchronic (CHD013TT)
Tested organism:

Rat (as animal) (A0CNV)
Strain of test organism:

Sprague-Dawley (CHD012ST)
Sex:

No data
Route of exposure:

ORAL: FEED (OECD2230PL)
Exposure duration:

4.0
Unit of exposure duration:

Week (G205A)
Number of organisms dosed:

60
Control groups used:

yes
Endpoint measured:

Dose not reported (CHD066EP)
Critical effect:

NEPHROTOXICITY (TOX03A)
Target tissue:

urogenital: Kidneys (TT046A)
Effect description:

reduced kidney weight
Effect or parameter linked to the endpoint:

organ weights (CHD012BE)
Internal remarks:

The evidence demonstrates that the selenium in Brazil -nuts is linked to kidney toxicity