The safety assessment of food ingredients derived from plant cell, tissue and organ cultures: A review. (1st June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Murthy, Hosakatte Niranjana; Georgiev, Milen I.; Park, So-Young; Dandin, Vijayalaxmi S.; Paek, Kee-Yoeup
• Is Part Of: Food chemistry. Volume 176(2015)
• Page Start: 426
• Page End: 432
• Publication Date: 2015-06-01
• Subjects: Biosafety -- Food ingredients -- Phytochemicals -- Plant cell tissue and organ culture products -- Toxicological evaluation; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food -- Composition -- Periodicals; 664
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.12.075
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-8146

Abstract

Highlights: Safety issues for Plant Cell Tissue Organ Culture (PCTOC) products as health food. Precautionary measures for the establishment of cultures to harvest PCTOC raw material. Biosafety evaluation methods for PCTOC raw material and products. Abstract: Plant cell, tissue and organ cultures (PCTOC) have become an increasingly attractive alternative for the production of various high molecular weight molecules which are used as flavourings, fragrances, colouring agents and food additives. Although PCTOC products are cultivated in vitro in a contamination free environment, the raw material produced from PCTOC may contain many components apart from the target compound. In some cases, PCTOC raw materials may also carry toxins, which may be naturally occurring or accumulated during the culture process. Assessment of the safety of PCTOC products is, therefore, a priority of the biotech industries involved in their production. The safety assessment involves the evaluation of starting material, production process and the end product. Before commercialisation, PCTOC products should be evaluated for their chemical and biological properties, as well as for their toxicity. In this review, measures and general criteria for biosafety evaluation of PCTOC products are addressed and thoroughly discussed.