Guidance

Annexe 1. Literature search strategy

Published 11 October 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-on-the-com-assessment-of-in-vitro-and-in-vivo-genotoxicity-of-titanium-dioxide/annexe-1-literature-search-strategy

The principal assessment of literature was based on the references used in the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) review ‘Safety assessment of titanium dioxide (E171) as a food additive’ (EFSA, 2021). This literature search was made by ANS in 2016 and the methodology used for this was detailed in Appendices A and B of their review. This search was subsequently update to 2021 using methodology outlined in Appendices J and L (EFSA, 2021).

For this review of genotoxicity, the literature was again updated using the following methodology.

Scopus

(“titanium dioxide” AND nanoparticle AND genotox* AND ”in vitro”) AND PUBYEAR > 2020 AND PUBYEAR > 2020: 39

PubMed

“titanium dioxide”[Title/Abstract] AND nanoparticle[Title/Abstract] AND genotox*[Title/Abstract] AND “in vivo”[Title/Abstract]: 1

Both 2021 to 2023 and only English language.

Exclusion criteria applied by EFSA were also used. The following criteria for exclusion were applied:

  • non-biological, toxicological or genotoxicity studies (for example, synthesis, photocatalytic performance, soil analysis)
  • studies on non-mammal species (for example, fish, Drosophila, bees) or plants * in vivo studies that have used a non-relevant route of administration (for example, dermal, dental and bone implants)
  • studies performed only with coated TiO2
  • studies performed only with 2 nanofibres, nanocomposites or nanotubes
  • reviews, editorials, letters to the editors and so on

Terms like derma* OR dental OR “bone implant*” OR soil OR plant OR fish were also excluded.

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