Nutritional and histopathological studies on rats fed on energy food fumigated with acrylonitrile.

Energy-food (54% wheat, 27% brown sugar, 9% chickpea, 9% peanut, 0.9% vitamins and 0.9% CaCO3) was fumigated at insecticidal (40 mg/l) and exaggerated (400 mg/l) levels of acrylonitrile (AN), and fed to albino rats for 8 wk. AN residues in food sprayed with 40 mg/l were only approx. 3 p.p.m. and found to be harmless; residues in food given the higher level treatment were 18 p.p.m. and caused rat liver damage in about 25% of cases. Thus, provided AN is kept within acceptable levels, this treatment appears safe.