Abstract
Summary
Lathyrus odoratus peas and certain aminonitrile compounds chemically related to the active extract of the pea, when added to the diet of pregnant rats, caused death of the fetal rat late in intrauterine life. Death was associated with poor development of the skeleton and other mesodermal tissues, and commonly resulted from rupture of the thoracic aorta at or near the time of birth. No harmful effects on the fetus were demonstrated by feeding these substances to the pregnant female before the 17th day of gestation. Lathyrus odoratus peas in 50% dietary concentration did not affect fertility of the adult male or female rat, and males maintained on the diet for as long as 10 months showed no histological evidence of testicular atrophy. No toxic substance was demonstrated in the milk of nursing females on the pea diet. The feeding procedure employing pregnant female rats proved to be a reasonably accurate and sensitive method for the toxicity assay of aminonitriles. Aminoacetonitrile was the most toxic of the compounds tested.
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