EFFECT OF ORGANIC SYNTHETIC FOOD COLORS ON MITOCHONDRIAL RESPIRATION

Eleven organic synthetic dyes, currently or formerly used as food colo urs in Brazil, were tested to determine their effect on mitochondrial respiration in mitochondria isolated from rat liver and kidney. The co mpounds tested were: Erythrosine, Ponceau 4R, Allura Red, Sunset yello w, Tartrazine, Amaranth, Brilliant Blue, Indigotine Blue, Fast Red E, Orange GGN and Scarlet GN. An food colours tested inhibited mitochondr ial respiration (State III respiration, uncoupled) supported either by a-ketoglutarate or succinate. this inhibition varied largely, e.g. fr om 100% to 16% for Erythrosine and Tartrazine respectively, at a conce ntration of 0.1 mg food colour per mitochondrial protein. Both rat liv er and kidney mitochondria showed similar patterns of inhibition among the food colours tested. This effect was dose related and the concent ration to give 50% inhibition was determined for some of the dyes. The xanthene dye Erythrosine, which showed the strongest effect, was sele cted for further investigation on mitochondria in vivo.