Toxicological Evaluation of Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid in Male Fischer 344 Rats

To assess the toxicity of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) after an extended feeding period, 40 male Fischer 344 rats were given either a basal diet (control) or the same diet supplemented with 1.5% CLA. During the 36-wk study, food disappearance, body weights, and cageside examinations were determined weekly and were found to be unaffected by CLA treatment. On termination, 15 major organs from 10 animals in each treatment group were excised, weighed, and prepared for histopathological evaluation. Results indicated no treatment-related effects. Likewise, haematological analysis of collected cardiac blood did not reveal any significant difference. The average daily intake of CLA by rats in this study was 80-fold and 50-fold greater than the estimated 50th and 90th percentile daily intakes, respectively, for teenage boys. Hence, results from this study indicate a lack of toxicity and support the potential determination for the GRAS status of CLA.