Long-term biochemical and genotoxicity studies of four synthetic food and drug colourants in mice

ABSTRACT

Four different food and drug synthetic colorants, brilliant black [Bk] brilliant blue [Bl], erythrosine [Er], and indigo carmine [In] were fed to groups of male and female mice at dose of [250 mg/kg diet] for 7 months. DNA and RNA content were determined in kidney, liver, brain, muscles, heart and spleen. Also, electrophoretic pattern of plasma protein, chromosomal aberration were done in both sexes. The feeding of colorants decrease DNA content of all organs expect brain which remained nearly constant in both males and females, DNA reached to 42, 24, 18.2, 12 and 6.6 mg/100 g fresh tissue of kidney, liver, brain muscles, heart and spleen, respectively. Also, RNA contents decreased in all examined organs except brain which was kept unchanged relative to control. Chromosomal aberration ranged from 40% to 44.6% in [Er] group to 29.3% to 34% for [Bl] group in both female and male mice. This study was done to clarify the biochemical changes and genotoxic effect of food and drug colorants