Human liver microsomes experimental models

The monocyclic monoterpene (+)- and (-)-limonene enantiomers have been shown to be present in orange peel Citrus aurantium L. sp. aurantium) and other plants and are extensively used as fragrances in household products and components of artificial essential oils. The (+)-limonene isomeric form is more abundantly present in plants than the racemic mixture and the (-)-limonene isomeric form (Wichtel, 2002). It has previously been shown that (+) limonene has chemopreventive activities in experimental animal models including rats and mice (Crowell et al., 1992). Because of the greater importance of (-i-)-limonene in the food and fragrance industry, only its metabolism and not that of (-)-limonene is described below. Several research groups have successfully described the biotransformation of ( f)-limonene in vitro (rat and human liver microsomes) and in vivo (rat, mice, guinea... 

The toxicokinetics of MTBE have been studied in animal models, primarily rodents. The information available to date on the biological fate of ETBE and TAME indicates that their kinetics are expected to be similar to those of MTBE. This has been confirmed experimentally in rodents, in in vitro systems using liver microsome homogenates, and also in studies with human volunteers inhaling these fuel oxygenates while at rest or during light exercise. 

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