Zhao ZY, Liang L, Fan X, et al. The role of modified citrus pectin as an effective chelator of lead in children hospitalized with toxic lead levels. Altern Ther. July/August 2008;14(4): 34-38.

Lead toxicity is a chronic environmental illness. "In the very young, virtually no system in the body is immune to the effects of lead toxicity," write the authors. They report the results of their clinical study of the effects of modified citrus pectin (MCP) in lowering lead toxicity in children.

The effect of lead on the developing brain is of greatest concern in young children. Damaging actions during its development are likely to have long-lasting effects. Lead poisoning affects the brain in many ways, leading to delayed or reversed development, permanent learning disabilities, seizures, coma, and even death.^1-3

Medical intervention with traditional chelation for lead toxicity fails to reverse the effects on the brain.^4,5 In addition, say the authors, the existing chelating agents have significant adverse effects associated with them, can bind to essential minerals in the body, require medical monitoring because they are often administered intravenously, and often are not safe for use in children. The main chelating agent currently used for removal of lead toxicity is ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), an expensive intravenous treatment with potential adverse side effects. 

The authors have reported encouraging results with the use of MCP in two adult human clinical trials noting increased excretion and reduction of the body burden of toxic metals.

The study reported here took place at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. The 7 patients (5 boys and 2 girls aged from 5 to 12 years) recruited for this study met the qualification standard of blood lead concentration >20 μg/dL with no chelation and/or detoxification treatments for 3 months before the study.

Patients were given 15 g of MCP (PectaSol®) daily, divided into three 5-g doses. (PectaSol is manufactured and distributed by EcoNugenics, Inc., Santa Rosa, California. One of the authors [Wilk] serves as director of research and development.)

Blood lead concentration and 24-hour total urine lead excretion were measured by graphic furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy at day 0 before MCP consumption and then weekly until the patients' discharge from the hospital. Two patients were released after 2 weeks, 3 patients after 3 weeks, and 2 patients after 4 weeks, when their blood lead level dropped below 20 μg/dL.

The patients were evaluated during the course of hospital treatment for subjective symptoms (worsening or improvement of presenting symptoms, development of any new symptoms, and potential adverse effects of the MCP). General blood analyses were monitored for adverse conditions; no abnormal results occurred. All 7 patients had a significant decrease in their blood levels of lead (P=0.0016; 161% average change). For example, the blood level of lead in one child decreased from 54.9 μg/dL on day 0 to 14.0 μg/dL on day 21. Also seen was a dramatic increase in 24-hour urine collection (P=0.0007; 132% average change). For example, the 24-hour urine lead excretion for day 0 for the patient mentioned in the preceding paragraph was 37.0 μg; at day 21, that value had increased to 85.0 μg. A monosaccharide analysis of the MCP revealed that the MCP consisted of 88.2% galacturonic acid, 6.6% galactose, 2.2% rhamnose, 1.3% arabinose, 0.5% xylose, 0.3% glucose, 0.1% fucose, and 0.4% glucuronic acid.

No side effects were reported.

As a systemic chelator, MCP has the ability to reduce total body burden of heavy metals without side effects, say the authors. "Additional clinical studies are justified to confirm our findings and to optimize the use of MCP on its own or in combination with modified alginates for broad use on an ongoing basis and specifically in children who are chronically exposed to environmental toxins."

―Shari Henson

References

¹Järup L. Hazards of heavy metal contamination. Br Med Bull. 2003;68:167-182.

²Rosen JF. Adverse health effects of lead at low exposure levels: trends in the management of childhood lead poisoning. Toxicology. 1995;97(1-3):11-17.

³Mendelsohn AL, Dreyer BP, Fierman AH, et al. Low-level lead exposure and cognitive development in early childhood. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 1999;20(6):425-431.

⁴Moore MR, McIntosh MJ, Bushnell IW. The neurotoxicology of lead. Neurotoxicol. 1986;7(2):541-556.