Study of a common azo food dye in mice model: Toxicity reports and its relation to carcinogenicity

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the toxic effects of an azo dye carmoisine widely used in foods and to investigate its relation to carcinogenicity. Carmoisine administered into mice orally in four different doses as control, low, medium, and high equivalent to 0, 4, 200, and 400 mg/kg bw, respectively, for 120 days. The key toxicological endpoint was observed including animal body weight, organ weights, hematology, biochemistry, and molecular biology assessment. The body weights of medium‐ and high‐dose carmoisine‐treated mice group were significantly decreased as compared to the control mice group. Platelet, white blood cell and monocyte counts of treated group were considerably higher, while Hb and red blood cell counts were drastically lower than the control group. The biochemical parameters such as serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, globulin, urea, and creatinine level were significantly increased, while serum cholesterol level was decreased after treatment as compared to the control. RT‐PCR results showed that expression of Bcl‐x and PARP gene was intensively increased, whereas expression of p53 gene was decreased in the mouse liver tissues treated with carmoisine. This study revealed that high‐dose (400 mg/kg bw) treatment of carmoisine was attributable to renal failure and hepatotoxicity. It also would be suspected as a culprit for liver oncogenesis.

Perinatal Exposure to Tartrazine Triggers Oxidative Stress and Neurobehavioral Alterations in Mice Offspring

“…In addition to leukocytosis, mice exposed to TZ showed thrombocytosis. Accordingly, the number of platelets increased in adults that received the azo dye carnosine for 120 days, as recently reported by [37]. The authors attributed the increase in platelets to the immune response and supported their hypothesis by the notion that platelets act as circulating sensors linking tissue repair and immune responses [38].…”

Autocombustion‐Promoted Synthesis of Lanthanum Iron Oxide: Application as Heterogeneous Catalyst for Synthesis of Piperidines, Substituted Amines and Light‐Assisted Degradations

“…[38] Studies have shown that the intake of these food colorants to a limited extent is fine, but excess consumption of these will result to children hyperactivity, allergies and intolerance. [39] As a consequence of this, Allura red AC was banned in some European countries. [40] These colorant are also utilized in textile industry for dying purpose, however their presence in the environment may lead to deleterious impact on the aquatic life as during the manufacturing process some percentage of the dye goes to the lakes & rivers in the form of industrial effluent thus causing marine pollution.…”

Waterborne polyurethane‐based dye with covalently bonded to Disperse blue 60

“…Due to the noncovalent bond interaction between dyes and polymeric matrices, dyes are easy to migrate and aggregate leading to color fading of materials, as time goes by. Besides, dyes are usually small organic molecules with azo groups, naphthalenes and so on, which are limited in application in various fields due to their high toxicity to human body (except for a few) and serious environmental pollution in the process of production and use . Therefore, nontoxic and green dyes are of great importance.…”