HEPATOTOXIC EFFECT OF TARTRAZINE AND ERYTHROSINE ON MALE WISTAR RATS

Wopara Iheanyichukwu*, Mounmbegna P. P. E., Ike Amanda and Modo Emmanuel U.

ABSTRACT

Recently, progressive use of synthetic food additives has paid more attention on their benefit and less attention on their toxic effect. Tartrazine and erythrosine are synthetic food colorants widely used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals industries. This study is aimed at evaluating the possible hepatotoxic effect of these synthetic food colorants. A total of 25 adult male albino rats were divided into five groups with 5 rats per group. Group 1 is control group and given only water and feed. While group 2,3,4,5 were administered 5mg/kgb.wt, 10mg/kgb.wt, 20mg/kgb.wt, 40mg/kgb.wt of Tatrazine and Erythrosine respectively. At the end of the experimental period (21 days), blood samples were collected via ocular puncture and used to measure the serum activity of Alanine aminotranferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotranferase (AST) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), on the animals. The result revealed that there was a high significant difference p<0.05 in ALT activity of group4 (8.98±2.49U/L) when compared with the control (3.21±0.09U/L). Group5 also showed higher ALT activity (7.66±0.37U/L) when compared with group2 (1.98±0.18U/L). Also, AST activity in group5 was significantly higher (68.53±2.23U/L) when compared with the control (3.11±0.18U/L).the increase was observed across group. Furthermore, the result showed a high serum ALP activity in group4 (26.01±2.04U/L) when compared with the control (16.00±1.09U/L) and other groups. The above result shows that the combination of Erythrosine and Tartrazine is capable of increasing the serum activity level of the liver enzymes (ALT,AST and ALP). This implies that high and constant ingestion of these synthetic food colorants could be hepatotoxic, hence liver damage.

Keywords: Erythrosine, Tartrazaine, AST, ALT and ALP.