WP5: Database interface for risk-benefit assessment

1. WP5: Database interface for risk-benefit assessment AntonellaGuzzon, Luca Bucchini (Hylobates). Jouni Tuomisto (THL).

2. Overview • Background • Objectives of the work • Compound intake estimator • Developmental needs • Conclusions

3. Background • Need for safe use of plant food supplements. • Science-based understanding and decision-making is the key. • Regulators • Food chain operators • Customers. • Quality-assured tools and data banks are needed.

4. Objectives • To develop an Internet-based interface where users can access, combine, by plant and compound, and discuss information for risk-benefit assessment. • To make selected case-studies available to the public through Opasnet web workspace. • To develop guidance for conducting risk-benefit assessments of plants, extracts, preparations and individual products online.

5. The product: Compound intake estimator • An online tool for estimating concentrations and intakes of various compounds in a PFS product. • http://en.opasnet.org/w/Compound_intake_estimator • Some data comes from ePlantLIBRA database. • The user may add own data for own calculations.

6. Products covered • Currently, the compound intake estimator contains information about these PFSs: • Cinnamon dried bark essential oil • Bitter fennel essential oil • Fennel fruit • Green tea leaf • Ginkgo leaf • St John’s wort

7. User interface • Fill in form. • Click and run model. • See code if interested. • Default values produce a plausible outcome.

8. Intake calculations • These equations are used to calculate intakes and level of concern: • intakecomp (mg /kg /d) = intake (g /d) * conccomp (mg /g) / 60 (kg) • concern indicatorcomp,i = intakecomp (mg /kg /d) / guidance valuecomp,i (mg /kg /d) * safety factori • comp = index for compounds • i = index for indicators

9. Interface for compound concentrations

10. Results: compounds in cinnamon

11. Results: intake concerns

12. Existing data in the tool: guidance values

13. Guidance values used • In the order of preference: • ADI (acceptable daily intake) • TDI (tolerable daily intake) • BMDL10 (lower confidence interval for benchmark dose 10 • This is often used to calculate MOE = margin of exposure • TTC (threshold for toxicological concern) • Based on Cramer classes

14. Existing data in the tool: product data

15. Model specifications • Probabilisticmodelusing R statistical software. • The model is on and canberunfrom a webpage in Opasnet. (MediaWiki) • Data comesfrom a databasethathas an interface on Opasnet page. (MongoDB) • The modelcodecanbecopied and run on owncomputer. (requires R packageOpasnetUtilsfrom CRAN) • Discussionsabout the resultsarepossible on the samewebpage. • Opasnet willbemaintainedby THL, whereit is beingactivelyusedbyseveralprojects.

16. Development needs • Guidancevalue data for new compoundswouldmake the toolmoreversatile. • Concentration data existssofaronly for PlantLIBRA case products. • However, EFSA hascollected data of hundreds of food supplementsfrom 8 countries. This is a potentiallyuseful data source. • Currently the concentration data is notpubliclyavailable. Opening the data wouldincrease the usability of the tool.

17. Conclusions • Compound intake estimator is a usable tool for increasing understanding of risks and benefits of food supplements. • It offers a platform for shared learning and online discussions. • However, currently its usability is limited by a fairly small amount of concentration data openly available.

18. Additional information • http://en.opasnet.org/w/Compound_intake_estimator • http://en.opasnet.org/w/File:Compound_intake_estimator.ppt • http://en.opasnet.org/w/Plantlibra_deliverable_DWP5-6