Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to L Saint-Lebe.
Having demonstrated the wholesomeness of irradiated food, then scientists had to prove that nutritional impact of food irradiation was minor. Animal testing, vitamin and amino acid measurements in irradiated food, and no longer in solutions, have demonstrated that recorded changes, at commercial doses i.e. 1 to 10 kGy did not present any hazard. It must be noted that sensory qualities of radiosensitive food products like milk, are altered well before nutriments.
The bactericidal effect of water soluble radiolysis products of Maize starch on Escherichia coli cultures declines when the initial population grows. This toxicity varies with the culture environment and the bacterial species: Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus faecalis, Enterobacter sp. Moreover, for the eucaryote cell Saccharomyces cerevisiae, wild strain or muting "small colonies", only the generating time is altered by the active parts of radiolysis products. The results are analysed with regard to the hypothesis that the hydrogen peroxide is responsible for this toxicity.
Hydrogen peroxide oxidizes glutathione and lipoïc, pyruvic and alpha-ketoglutaric acids in vitro. This work with Escherichia coli shows that the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvic acid by the peroxide in vivo takes into account its toxicity.
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Maize starch pasteurized by irradiation was fed to OFA rats (Sprague Dawley derived) in an uncooked form (irradiated at 300 krad.) and in a cooked form (irradiated at 300 and 600 krad.) at dietary level of 62%. A six month toxicity trial was performed with uncooked starch and a 24 month trial with cooked starch. At the same time a reproduction study was conducted, over 3 generations with 2 litters per generation, using both uncooked and cooked irradiated starch. The parent generation (Fo) was randomly selected from animals in the feeding study and after the production of the F1a and F1b generations they were returned to that study. Control groups corresponding to each form of starch were established. They were fed the same diet except that the starch was not irradiated. The results of the various investigations conducted during the study (behavior, growth, mortality, haematology, serum biochemistry, histopathology) did not reveal any toxicological effect due to treatment, nor any effect on reproduction. No significant differences were shown between treated and control group.