New Sight on the Possibility of the Neurotoxic Behavior Affected by the Oxidized Compounds in Fats and Oils

Abstract

Japan experienced food poisonings caused by degradation of fats and oils in instant noodle about 40 years ago. In those food poisonings, many peoples suffered from acute symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, emesis, abdominal pain, feeling of weariness and headache, but no one died. Therefore, the toxicity of oxidized fats and oils extracted from instant noodle was evaluated by acute toxicity test with rats and acute symptoms which relate to central nerve system like diarrhea, piloerection, crouching position and hypoactivity were observed in this experiment. As the results, appearance-numbers of diarrehea, piloerection and crouching position did not increase with the oxidation period of fats and oils and there was no significant correlation between these symptoms and factors such as peroxide value, acid value and p-anisidine value under the maximum non-effective does. However, there was a significant relation (P=0.005) between oxidation period of fats and oils and appearance-numbers for hypoactivity under the maximum non-effective dose. These results would indicate that deteriorated fats and oils affects central nerve system. This would be the first time to show the possibility that oxidized fats and oils has neurotoxicity.