Volume 23 (6):466-508,
2019
Toxicity of tartrazine,
curcumin and other food colorants; possible mechanism of adverse effects.
S Shakoor
MS1,2*, F Ali PhD1,3 , A Ismail PhD1,4*, Z U Rahman PhD5, MR Sabran PhD1,
N Mohtarrudin PhD6
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Medicine
and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400
UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. 2Sub Campus Burewala-Vehari, University
of Agriculture Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. 3Biochemistry Department, University
Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Yemen.
4Research
Centre of Excellence, Nutrition and chronic non communicable diseases (RCDE
NNCD); 5Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmacology,
and Physiology, University of Agriculture
Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. 6 Department
of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health
Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
ABSTRACT
Shakoor S, Ali F, Ismail A, Rahman ZU, Sabran
MR, Mohtarrudin N., Toxicity
of tartrazine, curcumin and other food colorants;possible mechanism of adverse effects, Onl J Vet Res., 23
(6):466-508, 2019. Dyes in food products, drugs and cosmetics are used
to maintain color and classified as artificial or natural with an estimated
world production of ~8 million tons per year. The FDA and U.S. Department of
Agriculture have identified safe colorants (GRAS) based on safe use in food and
monitor GRAS continuously. If published evidence suggests that GRAS are mutagenic, they are delisted. For most additives,
JECFA/FAO has allowed a classification of “Admissible Daily Intake Dose” (ADI),
most frequently provisional but still requires additional evaluation, being
genotoxic if dose is lower than ADI dose.
Even certified colorants can elicit adverse reactions (WHO, 1991) and in
foodstuffs can induce cancer. It appears that synthetic colorants are
undesirable and efforts to use natural colorants due to consumer preference as
well as legislative action have promoted delisting of registered synthetic
dyes. Tartrazine (E120) is the 2nd most
used food dye derived from coal tar and used in food, pharmaceuticals and
cosmetics but can be mutagenic and affect cell viability. Curcumin (E100) from the minced root
of the herb Curcuma longa Linn. Is a double-edged
sword, like other antioxidants with anticancer, antioxidant and pro-oxidant
with possible but doubtful mutagenic properties. We review conflicting toxicity
of natural versus synthetic food colorants with special emphasis on curcumin
and tartrazine.
Keywords: food colors,
toxicological effect, biochemical markers, potential mechanisms, oxidative
stress.
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