Effects of Dietary Administration of Propyl Gallate during Pregnancy on the Prenatal and Postnatal Developments of Rats

Abstract

Propyl gallate (the n-propyl ester of 3, 4, 5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) was given ad libitum to pregnant rats during pregnancy at levels of 0, 0.4, 1 and 2.5% in the diet, and its teratogenic effect and effect on postnatal development were examined. At the highest dose level of 2.5%, a marked suppression of maternal body weight gain and food consumption, and a slight retardation in fetal development were observed. No evidence of an increase in fetal death or of malformation attributable to the dietary treatment with propyl gallate was observed, though some apparently spontaneous changes were found in a few fetuses. However, all the newborns from 1 dam in the 1% group and from 2 dams in the 2.5% group were cannibalized by their dams within 2 days after birth. The postnatal development of the offspring of other dams of both groups showed no indication of morphological or behavioral changes. © 1979, Japanese Society for Food Hygiene and Safety. All rights reserved.