Tartrazine: Potential hepatorenal and cardiovascular toxicity and the possible protective effect of vitamin E in Wistar rats

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

2 2Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Cairo, Al -Azhar University, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: Monitoring and evaluation of adverse effects of food additives as extensively used compounds is of crucial value to lower the expected harmful effects on human health. Tartrazine is a synthetic food dye that is very popular in Egypt.
Objective: to investigate tartrazine toxicity and the potential of vitamin E to alleviate tartrazine hepato-renal and cardiovascular toxicity in experimental rats.
Methodology: 24 adult male albino Wistar rats were included in the study. Tartrazine (300 mg/kg/day orally) was used alone and along with vitamin E (100 mg/kg/day orally) for 30 days. Body and organ weights, arterial blood pressure and ECG were recorded then the rats were sacrificed, and blood was drawn and tested for a variety of serological indicators. including kidney functions (creatinine, urea and uric acid) liver functions (AST&ALT) and lipid peroxidation indicator (MDA). In addition, histopathological analysis was done for liver and kidney tissues.
Results: throughout the experiment, no mortality or behavioral changes were observed, vitamin E used in the current study mostly reversed tartrazine's harmful effects in rats. Vitamin E decreased creatinine, urea, and uric acid levels by 23%, 33% and 13% respectively. In addition, ALT, AST, and MDA levels were improved by 17%, 40% and 42% respectively. Significant reduction in arterial blood pressure and improvement in ECG changes also was observed after vitamin E treatment.
Conclusion: Vitamin E has a potential protective effect as an antioxidant in ameliorating the toxic effects caused by tartrazine.

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