Journal: Food and Chemical Toxicology

Abbreviation

Food Chem. Toxicol.

Publisher

Elsevier

Journal Volumes

ISSN

0278-6915
1873-6351

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Publications 1 - 10 of 15
  • Predicting in vivo concentrations of dietary hop phytoestrogens by physiologically based kinetic modeling
    Item type: Journal Article
    Stevanoska, Maja; Beekmann, Karsten; Punt, Ans; et al. (2025)
    Food and Chemical Toxicology
    Hop extracts containing prenylated polyphenols such as 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN) and its precursor isoxanthohumol (iXN) are popular among women seeking natural alternatives to hormone therapy for postmenopausal symptoms. Due to structural similarities with estrogens, these compounds act as estrogen receptor agonists. Especially 8-PN, described as the most potent phytoestrogen known to date, poses a potential risk for endocrine disruption. Therefore, its use as a hormone replacement raises concerns for human health. However, a significant challenge in assessing the potential endocrine-disruptive effects of hop polyphenols is the lack of data on their toxicokinetics. Particularly, information on in vivo concentrations in target tissues is lacking. To address this gap, we developed a physiologically based kinetic (PBK) model tailored to female physiology. The model was used to predict the levels of hop polyphenols in human blood and target tissues under realistic exposure scenarios. The predictions suggest that iXN and 8-PN concentrations in target tissues reach the low nanomolar range after dietary supplementation. This study enhances our understanding of internal concentrations of iXN and 8-PN after dietary consumption and is of direct applicability for respective risk assessment.
  • In vivo distribution of nanosilver in the rat: The role of ions and de novo-formed secondary particles
    Item type: Journal Article
    Juling, Sabine; Bachler, Gerald; Götz, Natalie von; et al. (2016)
    Food and Chemical Toxicology
  • Addressing Chemophobia: Informational versus affect-based approaches
    Item type: Journal Article
    Saleh, Rita; Bearth, Angela; Siegrist, Michael (2020)
    Food and Chemical Toxicology
    This study investigated the effect of two communication strategies (informational and affect-based) in reducing chemophobia, the irrational fear of chemicals. In an online experiment, participants (N = 448) were randomly assigned to one of three groups (“control”, “knowledge”, or “affect” group). The following dependent variables were assessed: chemophobia, knowledge of basic toxicological principles, affect towards chemicals, benefit perception of the use of chemicals, and preference for natural substitutes in consumer products. The results showed that only the informational approach, which conveys knowledge of basic toxicological principles, significantly decreased chemophobia and the preference for natural substitutes in consumer products. The affect-based approach significantly increased positive affect towards chemicals and the benefit perception of their use, but did not decrease chemophobia. This suggested that the provision of relevant information about basic toxicological principles is a more effective strategy than merely addressing laypeople's affect towards chemicals to reduce chemophobia. Relevant knowledge could be taught in schools or disseminated by toxicologists and scientists who are trusted by the public.
  • Consumers’ perceptions of chemical household products and the associated risks
    Item type: Journal Article
    Buchmüller, Kim; Bearth, Angela; Siegrist, Michael (2020)
    Food and Chemical Toxicology
    Accidents with chemical household products are prevalent worldwide and often involve young children. Previous research has shown that consumers use both analytical factors (e.g., warning symbols) and potentially misleading heuristics to evaluate the riskiness. However, it remains unclear whether consumers intuitively think of the specific risks of these products when handling them. We conducted an online survey with Swiss consumers (N = 1109) aiming to investigate consumer's spontaneous and prompted risk perception of chemical household products. First, we asked them about their free associations to laundry detergent, descaler, mold remover and essential oils. While participants were aware of the risks when prompted about them, they did not name them intuitively, but mainly thought of the possible uses and attributes of the product. Next, we examined prerequisites to safe handling of chemical household products. This included applied knowledge about the products, but also factors like perceived barriers to safe use. Finally, we assessed the predictors of perceived severity of accidents in order to estimate the potential behavioral changes that these predictors might elicit. For interventions, particular attention should be accorded to personal risk awareness and the perception of potential barriers, which were significantly related to the perceived severity of accidents.
  • The alternative analog plasticizer BPS displays similar phenotypic and metabolomic responses to BPA in HepG2 and INS-1E cells
    Item type: Journal Article
    Ferreira Azevedo, L.; Miguel Masiero, Mauro; Cherkaoui, Sarah; et al. (2022)
    Food and Chemical Toxicology
    Bisphenols A (BPA) and S (BPS) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals that affect energy metabolism, leading to impairment of glucose and lipid homeostasis. We aimed at identifying metabolic pathways regulated by both compounds in human liver cells and rat pancreatic β-cells that could impair energy homeostasis regulation. We assessed the effects on growth, proliferation, and viability of hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) and insulinoma (INS-1E) cells exposed to either BPA or BPS in a full range concentration between 0.001 and 100 μM. Both the dose and duration of exposure caused a differential response on growth and viability of both cells. Effects were more pronounced on HepG2, as these cells exhibited non-linear dose-responses following exposure to xenobiotics. For INS-1E, effect was observed only at the highest concentration. In addition, we profiled their intracellular state by untargeted metabolomics at 24, 48, and 72 h of exposure. This analysis revealed time- and dose-dependently molecular changes for HepG2 and INS-1E that were similar between BPA and BPS. Both increased levels of inflammatory mediators, such as metabolites pertaining to linolenic and linoleic acid metabolic pathway. In summary, this study shows that BPS also disrupts molecular functions in cells that regulate energy homeostasis, displaying similar but less pronounced responses than BPA.
  • Public views of animal testing and alternatives in chemical risk assessment
    Item type: Journal Article
    Bearth, Angela; Wiesner, Lisa; Siegrist, Michael (2024)
    Food and Chemical Toxicology
    Next-Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) aims to implement New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) into risk assessment and to rely on new in vivo testing in animals only as a last resort. However, various technical and regulatory hurdles impede their regulatory implementation. Assumptions about the public's expectations could act as barriers to the acceptance of NAMs. This study aimed at investigating public views of animal testing and potential alternatives, namely in vitro and in silico testing. An online survey was conducted (N = 965). The results suggest that people make trade-offs, as they experience negative affect regarding in vivo testing, which partly might explain their openness regarding certain alternatives. In vitro tests were attributed the highest ability to determine harmful effects of chemicals for different endpoints, followed by in vivo and in silico tests. Our results further showed that many people accept chemicals to be only tested with alternatives, with highest acceptance for household consumer products, food contact material or building materials and less accepting for medicines and foods. This article addresses potential challenges that might arise from public perceptions and thus, contributes to the bottom-up initiatives to overcome the hurdles to the implementation of NAMs in regulatory risk assessment.
  • Use-patterns of personal care and household cleaning products in Switzerland
    Item type: Journal Article
    Garcia-Hidalgo, Elena; von Goetz, Natalie; Siegrist, Michael; et al. (2016)
    Food and Chemical Toxicology
  • Analysis of consumer behavior for the estimation of the exposure to chemicals in personal care products
    Item type: Journal Article
    Sy, Mouhamadou M.; Garcia-Hidalgo, Elena; Jung, Christian; et al. (2020)
    Food and Chemical Toxicology
  • Assessing exposure factors in the smartphone generation: Design and evaluation of a smartphone app that collects use patterns of cosmetics and household chemicals
    Item type: Journal Article
    von Goetz, Natalie; Garcia-Hidalgo, Elena; Balachandran, Charles; et al. (2018)
    Food and Chemical Toxicology
  • Trace chemicals in consumer products – Consumers’ acceptance before and after receiving information about toxicological principles
    Item type: Journal Article
    Bearth, Angela; Saleh, Rita; Lee, Gowoon; et al. (2021)
    Food and Chemical Toxicology
    Toxicologists face several challenges when communicating with the public about the potential risks of chemical substances in consumer products. However, based on the consumers’ scepticism and detachment from the use of chemical substances in the manufacturing of consumer goods, evidence is needed on how this communication can be improved. Hence, the goal of this study was to experimentally check the effect of an informational video on consumers’ acceptance of trace chemicals in consumer products, their willingness to purchase and finally, their perception of the dose-response mechanism. For this, an informational video was developed and evaluated in a pre-post online study with a sample of South Korean consumers (N = 600). The results suggest that providing information on toxicological principles increases people’s acceptance of trace chemicals in consumer products and their willingness to purchase a consumer product containing trace chemicals. Within the article, implications for practice and ideas for new research avenues are presented.
Publications 1 - 10 of 15