Toxicity Profile for 3,4-Dihydrocoumarin (1999)

Abstract

3,4-Dihydrocoumarin is a potent skin sensitizer in humans and laboratory animals, and the neat liquid is a moderate skin irritant in rabbits. A moderate acute oral toxicity and low acute dermal toxicity is indicated in laboratory animals. On repeated oral administration to rats, toxic effects were observed in the kidney, liver, parathyroid gland, forestomach and blood, and the incidence of kidney tumours was increased in the treated males. In mice treated orally, there was some evidence of liver carcinogenicity. 3,4-Dihydrocoumarin did not induce chromosome damage in the blood of mice on repeated oral administration. In mammalian cells in culture, there was also no evidence of it causing chromosome damage, although a weak effect on the chromosomes (an increase in sister chromatid exchange) and some mutagenic potential were noted. In bacterial assays including the Ames test, 3,4-dihydrocoumarin showed no evidence of mutagenicity.