A Safety Evaluation of N-Acetylglucosamine Produced by Bacillus subtilis BNZR 2-7: A Comprehensive In Vitro and In Vivo Genotoxicity Assessment

Zhang, Liangliang; Hao, Jiahui; Liu, Xuefang; Yang, Kualian; Bai, Lina; Hu, Qingping; Feng, Saisai

doi:10.3390/biom15101368

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A Safety Evaluation of N-Acetylglucosamine Produced by Bacillus subtilis BNZR 2-7: A Comprehensive In Vitro and In Vivo Genotoxicity Assessment

by

Liangliang Zhang

^1,†

,

Jiahui Hao

^1,2,†,

Xuefang Liu

¹,

Kualian Yang

¹,

Lina Bai

¹,

Qingping Hu

² and

Saisai Feng

^1,*

¹

School of Food Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China

²

College of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors.

Biomolecules 2025, 15(10), 1368; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15101368

Submission received: 23 August 2025 / Revised: 21 September 2025 / Accepted: 23 September 2025 / Published: 26 September 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Bio-Engineered Materials)

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Abstract

N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) is an important functional monosaccharide that serves as a key component in macromolecules such as cell walls and chitin. It has a wide range of applications in medicine, health supplements, and the chemical industry, leading to a growing market demand. This study evaluated the potential genotoxicity of GlcNAc produced by Bacillus subtilis BNZR 2-7 through a comprehensive assessment in vitro and in vivo assays. GlcNAc was non-mutagenic in the Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli. Meanwhile, GlcNAc was non-genotoxic in the in vitro micronucleus assay using Chinese hamster ovary cells. In the in vivo assays, GlcNAc was non-genotoxic in the in vivo mammalian erythrocyte micronucleus test and spermatocyte chromosome aberration test in mice. These studies provide additional evidence that GlcNAc produced by Bacillus subtilis BNZR 2-7 is not genotoxic at the doses tested, supporting its safety for use in foods.

Keywords: N-acetylglucosamine; Bacillus subtilis; genotoxicity assessment; mutagenic activity; micronucleated cells; chromosomal aberrations

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, L.; Hao, J.; Liu, X.; Yang, K.; Bai, L.; Hu, Q.; Feng, S. A Safety Evaluation of N-Acetylglucosamine Produced by Bacillus subtilis BNZR 2-7: A Comprehensive In Vitro and In Vivo Genotoxicity Assessment. Biomolecules 2025, 15, 1368. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15101368

AMA Style

Zhang L, Hao J, Liu X, Yang K, Bai L, Hu Q, Feng S. A Safety Evaluation of N-Acetylglucosamine Produced by Bacillus subtilis BNZR 2-7: A Comprehensive In Vitro and In Vivo Genotoxicity Assessment. Biomolecules. 2025; 15(10):1368. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15101368

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Liangliang, Jiahui Hao, Xuefang Liu, Kualian Yang, Lina Bai, Qingping Hu, and Saisai Feng. 2025. "A Safety Evaluation of N-Acetylglucosamine Produced by Bacillus subtilis BNZR 2-7: A Comprehensive In Vitro and In Vivo Genotoxicity Assessment" Biomolecules 15, no. 10: 1368. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15101368

APA Style

Zhang, L., Hao, J., Liu, X., Yang, K., Bai, L., Hu, Q., & Feng, S. (2025). A Safety Evaluation of N-Acetylglucosamine Produced by Bacillus subtilis BNZR 2-7: A Comprehensive In Vitro and In Vivo Genotoxicity Assessment. Biomolecules, 15(10), 1368. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15101368

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A Safety Evaluation of N-Acetylglucosamine Produced by Bacillus subtilis BNZR 2-7: A Comprehensive In Vitro and In Vivo Genotoxicity Assessment

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