Safety evaluation of Zanthoxylum piperitum-derived essential oil by assessing micronucleus abnormalities, mutagenicity, and chromosomal aberration

Abstract Zanthoxylum piperitum, an important aromatic and medicinal plant, is widely used as a spice, diuretic, and abdominal ailment remedy in East Asia. Z. piperitum-derived essential oil contains myrcene, octanal, d-limonene, linalool, and octanal. These compounds have been used as antimicrobial agents against foodborne pathogens. We evaluated the potential health risks of Z. piperitum-derived essential oil, based on bone marrow micronucleus, bacterial reverse mutation, and chromosome aberration tests. Mice were orally dosed with the essential oil at concentrations of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg body wt/d for 2 days. After euthanizing the mice, polychromatic, normochromatic, and micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes were counted. Mutagenicity was evaluated using histidine-requiring Salmonella typhimurium and tryptophan-requiring Escherichia coli. In vitro chromosome aberration assays of Chinese hamster lung (CHL) cells were conducted to evaluate genotoxicity. Dosing levels of 250 to 1000 mg/kg body wt/d did not produce any significant differences in polychromatic, normochromatic, and micronucleated polychromatic erythrocyte counts. Levels of 31–1000 μg/plate did not induce mutagenicity in S. typhimurium and E. coli, with or without the introduction of a metabolic activation system. Significant chromosomal aberration was not observed in CHL cells incubated for 6 h in concentrations of 100–425 μg/mL, with or without a metabolic activation system. These results indicate that ingesting Z. piperitum-derived essential oil produces no bone marrow micronucleus abnormalities, mutagenicity, or chromosomal aberration.