Abstract
The teratogenicity of potassium metabisulfite (K2S2O5), which is used widely as a food additive, was studied in Wistar rats. The pregnant rats were fed a diet containing 10, 1 or 0.1% potassium metabisulfite from day 7 to day 14 of pregnancy. The maternal body weight gain during pregnancy and food intake during the administration period were markedly suppressed but no clinical signs of toxicity were observed in the 10% group. In this group, the fetal body weight was significantly lower than that of the control group and the postnatal survival rate of the offspring was slightly decreased. Maternal malnutrition during pregnancy might be one of the reasons for these adverse effects in the 10% group. External, skeletal and internal examinations of the fetuses revealed no evidence of teratogenesis in any group. No adverse effects on the pre- and postnatal development of the offspring were found in the 1 and 0.1% groups. It could be concluded that potassium metabisulfite has no teratogenic effect in rats under the present experimental conditions.
