Flavor compound geraniol induces inhibited nutrient utilization and developmental toxicity on embryonic–larval zebrafish
Abstract Flavors are widely utilized in the food and oral pharmaceutical industry, particularly in products for children, to enhance palatability and promote ingestion willingness. The complex compositions of flavors potentially induce severer toxicity especially in children. In this study, zebrafis...
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Wiley
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Food Frontiers |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.495 |
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| author | Yumin Luo Run Han Zhengyu Ren Nana Ai Shaowen Yu Simon Ming‐Yuen Lee Wei Ge Ying Chen Ying Zheng |
| author_facet | Yumin Luo Run Han Zhengyu Ren Nana Ai Shaowen Yu Simon Ming‐Yuen Lee Wei Ge Ying Chen Ying Zheng |
| author_sort | Yumin Luo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Flavors are widely utilized in the food and oral pharmaceutical industry, particularly in products for children, to enhance palatability and promote ingestion willingness. The complex compositions of flavors potentially induce severer toxicity especially in children. In this study, zebrafish embryos are applied for toxicity screening of flavor and its compounds by immersing in flavor solutions followed by the assessment of morphology of zebrafish larvae. Geraniol is identified as the prominent toxic compound and is considered highly toxic to zebrafish embryo. In further toxicology study, geraniol demonstrates the concentration‐dependent developmental toxicity as the obvious reduction of body and eye lengths, as well as the increased prevalence of tail deformities, pericardial edema, and spine deformation. Zebrafish larvae treated with geraniol exhibit reduction in liver area and exocrine pancreas length, increase in yolk sac area, as well as elevation of triglycerides and total cholesterol, which indicate the inhibited nutrient utilization. Transcriptome analysis reveals that under geraniol treatment, 248 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are downregulated, whereas 23 DEGs are upregulated, and 110 DEGs are related to metabolic process. Biological processes of lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, protein hydrolysis, and transmembrane transport, including their involved functional genes, are all downregulated. These findings reveal the developmental toxicity of geraniol by affecting the nutrient utilization‐related organs development and biological processes. This study establishes an efficient screening model for identifying toxic flavor compounds during developing stages, thereby elucidating the potential safety risks of geraniol exposure in zebrafish and providing a comprehensive understanding of its potential toxicity mechanism. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-823c1483e5c843ec98ebaf4abb54030c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2643-8429 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Food Frontiers |
| spelling | doaj-art-823c1483e5c843ec98ebaf4abb54030c2025-08-20T03:13:13ZengWileyFood Frontiers2643-84292025-01-016137438710.1002/fft2.495Flavor compound geraniol induces inhibited nutrient utilization and developmental toxicity on embryonic–larval zebrafishYumin Luo0Run Han1Zhengyu Ren2Nana Ai3Shaowen Yu4Simon Ming‐Yuen Lee5Wei Ge6Ying Chen7Ying Zheng8State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS)University of MacauTaipa Macau SAR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS)University of MacauTaipa Macau SAR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS)University of MacauTaipa Macau SAR ChinaFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of MacauTaipa Macau SAR ChinaNMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical ExcipientsGuangzhou Guangdong ChinaState Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS)University of MacauTaipa Macau SAR ChinaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging (CRDA), Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of MacauTaipa Macau SAR ChinaNMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical ExcipientsGuangzhou Guangdong ChinaState Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS)University of MacauTaipa Macau SAR ChinaAbstract Flavors are widely utilized in the food and oral pharmaceutical industry, particularly in products for children, to enhance palatability and promote ingestion willingness. The complex compositions of flavors potentially induce severer toxicity especially in children. In this study, zebrafish embryos are applied for toxicity screening of flavor and its compounds by immersing in flavor solutions followed by the assessment of morphology of zebrafish larvae. Geraniol is identified as the prominent toxic compound and is considered highly toxic to zebrafish embryo. In further toxicology study, geraniol demonstrates the concentration‐dependent developmental toxicity as the obvious reduction of body and eye lengths, as well as the increased prevalence of tail deformities, pericardial edema, and spine deformation. Zebrafish larvae treated with geraniol exhibit reduction in liver area and exocrine pancreas length, increase in yolk sac area, as well as elevation of triglycerides and total cholesterol, which indicate the inhibited nutrient utilization. Transcriptome analysis reveals that under geraniol treatment, 248 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are downregulated, whereas 23 DEGs are upregulated, and 110 DEGs are related to metabolic process. Biological processes of lipid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, protein hydrolysis, and transmembrane transport, including their involved functional genes, are all downregulated. These findings reveal the developmental toxicity of geraniol by affecting the nutrient utilization‐related organs development and biological processes. This study establishes an efficient screening model for identifying toxic flavor compounds during developing stages, thereby elucidating the potential safety risks of geraniol exposure in zebrafish and providing a comprehensive understanding of its potential toxicity mechanism.https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.495developmental toxicityflavorgeraniolnutrient utilizationzebrafish |
| spellingShingle | Yumin Luo Run Han Zhengyu Ren Nana Ai Shaowen Yu Simon Ming‐Yuen Lee Wei Ge Ying Chen Ying Zheng Flavor compound geraniol induces inhibited nutrient utilization and developmental toxicity on embryonic–larval zebrafish Food Frontiers developmental toxicity flavor geraniol nutrient utilization zebrafish |
| title | Flavor compound geraniol induces inhibited nutrient utilization and developmental toxicity on embryonic–larval zebrafish |
| title_full | Flavor compound geraniol induces inhibited nutrient utilization and developmental toxicity on embryonic–larval zebrafish |
| title_fullStr | Flavor compound geraniol induces inhibited nutrient utilization and developmental toxicity on embryonic–larval zebrafish |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flavor compound geraniol induces inhibited nutrient utilization and developmental toxicity on embryonic–larval zebrafish |
| title_short | Flavor compound geraniol induces inhibited nutrient utilization and developmental toxicity on embryonic–larval zebrafish |
| title_sort | flavor compound geraniol induces inhibited nutrient utilization and developmental toxicity on embryonic larval zebrafish |
| topic | developmental toxicity flavor geraniol nutrient utilization zebrafish |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.495 |
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