Negative physiological and biochemical effects of chronic and subchronic doses of benzoates and sorbates may pose a certain risk to human health. Identifying new biomarkers responsible for the body’s response to these compounds could provide significant details in determining the mechanism of their toxicity. To assess comparatively physiological, cytological, cytogenetic, and biochemical parameters in onion roots cells we used an Allium test. The roots were previously treated with sorbic and benzoic acids. The study recorded the dose-dependent toxic effect of these preservatives on the root mass growth. The EC50 values obtained for benzoic and sorbic acids (10 mg/L and 110 mg/L respectively) were significantly lower than the regulated concentrations prescribed by the standards for their content in certain types of food products. With an increase in concentrations of these acids, the mitotic index of meristematic cells decreased in experimental groups compared to control groups. The data obtained confirmed the necessity of estimating the mitotic index when choosing onion for the Allium test. The necessity resulted from the fact that low proliferative activity could cause false positive results. Sorbic and benzoic acids in concentrations below the corresponding EC50 increased the frequency of chromosomal aberrations in apical meristematic cells of the roots compared to control. Thus, benzoic and sorbic acids had reliable mitodepressive and genotoxic effects on the dividing cells of onion roots. The study explored the dynamics of lipid oxidation biomarker accumulation (malon dialdehyde, MDA) after exposure to benzoic and sorbic acids. The toxic effect of benzoic acid appeared not to be associated with oxidative damage to root cell lipids, whereas sorbic acid in concentrations from 20 to 200 mg/L resulted in a multiple increase in MDA concentration in the test samples compared to control. At the same time, lipid peroxidation showed a higher level of sensitivity compared to other indicators of this test. Further, the data obtained on the toxic influence of sorbic and benzoic acids can be used in express methods to assess food and ecological security of these acids.

Introduction. In view of the ongoing research into the negative effects of fruit juice on human health, we aimed to study the subchronic toxicity of apple juice, a model mixture based on its components, and ethanol on biomass growth, cellular oxidative enzymes, and chromosomal abnormalities in Allium cepa roots. Study objects and methods. Our objects of study included clarified apple juice and its components such as fructose, glucose, sucrose, D-sorbitol, and malic acid. After treating Allium cepa roots with apple juice and a model mixture in different concentrations, we analyzed their toxic effects on biomass growth, malondialdehyde levels, as well as the nature and frequency of proliferative and cytogenetic disorders in the plant tissues. Results and discussion. The incubation in an aqueous solution of apple juice at a concentration of 1:5 inhibited the growth in root mass by 50% compared to the control (water). The mitotic index of cells decreased with higher concentrations of juice, reaching zero at a 1:5 dilution. The fructose and model solutions in the same concentrations appeared less toxic in relation to cell mitosis and root mass growth. Although malondialdehyde levels increased in the onion roots treated with juice and model solutions, they were twice as low as in the control due to the juice’s antioxidant activity. Adding 1% ethanol to the 1:2 diluted juice abolished the effect of acute toxicity on root growth and reduced malondialdehyde levels by 30%. Conclusion. The study revealed a complex of interdependent biomarkers of apple juice responsible for its subchronic toxicity in Allium cepa roots. These data can be used to create biological response models based on the approaches of systems biology and bioinformatics.