Highly Sensitive Voltammetric Method for Quinoline Yellow Determination on Renewable Amalgam Film Electrode.

A novel electrochemical method for the determination of quinoline yellow (QY) was developed using the renewable amalgam film electrode (Hg(Ag)FE). The sensors used can be characterized by good stability and long lifespan. Irreversible QY reduction peaks were recorded in 0.05 mol L-1 HCl with a potential of about -630 mV. The use of the Hg(Ag)FE electrode with a regulated working surface allowed the QY limit of detection to be as low as 0.48 nmol L-1. The obtained result is the lowest in comparison to other voltammetric methods described in the literature. The effects of parameters such as the size of the working electrode surface, influence of the pH value, accumulation time, and potential were investigated to provide precision and high sensitivity of the performed measurements. This new procedure was applied for the highly sensitive determination of quinoline yellow in different beverages, pre-workout supplements, and throat lozenges. The process of sample preparation was relatively simple. Calculated recoveries (96-107%) suggest that the method can be considered accurate.

Estimation of Titanium Dioxide Intake by Diet and Stool Assessment among US Healthy Adults.

BACKGROUND: Titanium dioxide (TiO2/E171) is used in foods primarily as a whitening agent. Little is known regarding TiO2 exposure in the United States. OBJECTIVES: To quantify stool TiO2 content among US adults and evaluate its association with estimated intake. METHODS: Adults participated in phase 1 [three 24-h dietary recalls (DRs) and stool TiO2 measured from 3 matched samples (n = 52)] and/or phase 2 [tailored FFQ and stool TiO2 measured from 3 samples over 3 mo (n = 61)]. TiO2 in foods was estimated from a database, and concentration in 49 additional foods and 339 stool samples were quantified using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Associations between dietary and stool TiO2 were assessed by log-linear multivariable regression. USDA food groups (n = 49, servings/d) were related to stool TiO2 by stepwise regression. RESULTS: TiO2 food content varied by brand. Mean TiO2 intake from three 24-h DRs [0.19 ± 0.31 mg/(kg body weight · d)] was lower than from the FFQ [0.30 ± 0.21 mg/(kg body weight · d)]. Dietary TiO2 was not predictive of stool TiO2, in phase 1 or phase 2, 10^(ß) per 10 times higher dietary TiO2: 1.138 [10^(95% CI): 0.635, 2.037, P = 0.66] and 0.628 [10^(95% CI): 0.206, 1.910, P = 0.41], respectively. Food groups related to stool TiO2 were 1) milk desserts, sauces, and gravies [10^(ß) per servings/d: 3.361; 10^(95% CI): 0.312, 36.163; P = 0.002] and 2) yeast breads [10^(ß): 1.430; 10^(95% CI): 0.709, 2.884; P = 0.002] in phase 1 and 1) cream and cream substitutes [10^(ß) = 10.925; 10^(95% CI): 1.952, 61.137; P = 0.01] and 2) milk and milk drinks [10^(ß) = 0.306; 10^(95% CI): 0.086, 1.092, P = 0.07] in phase 2. CONCLUSIONS: Intake of certain foods was associated with higher stool TiO2 content. There is a need for valid estimation of TiO2 intakes via the improvement of a dietary assessment method and a TiO2 food composition database. Future research should assess whether high stool TiO2 content is related to adverse health outcomes.

Artificial food coloring affects EEG power and ADHD symptoms in college students with ADHD: a pilot study.

Objectives: Removing artificial food coloring (AFC) is a common dietary intervention for children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but has not been tested in young adults. This pilot study examined the effects of AFC on ADHD symptoms and electroencephalography (EEG) in college students with and without ADHD.Methods: At baseline, control and ADHD participants completed the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), simple and complex attention measures, and resting-state EEG recordings. ADHD participants (n = 18) and a subset of controls (extended control group or EC, n = 11) avoided AFC in their diet for 2 weeks and then were randomized to a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover challenge. Subjects received either 225 mg AFC disguised in chocolate cookies or placebo chocolate cookies for 3 days each week, with testing on the third day each week. Baseline comparisons were made using Student's t-test or Wilcoxon rank sum tests and challenge period analyses were run using General Linear Modeling.Results: The ADHD group had significantly greater scores on the ASRS (p < 0.001), confirming a symptom differential between groups; however, there were no differences in attentional measures or EEG at baseline. The AFC challenge resulted in an increase in posterior mean gamma power (p = 0.05), a decrease in posterior relative alpha power (p = 0.04), and a marginal increase in inattentive symptoms (p = 0.08) in the ADHD group. There were no effects of AFC in the EC group.Discussion: This study indicates that AFC exposure may affect brainwave activity and ADHD symptoms in college students with ADHD. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Using full chloroplast genomes of 'red' and 'yellow' Bixa orellana (achiote) for kmer based identification and phylogenetic inference.

BACKGROUND: Full chloroplast genomes provide high resolution taxonomic discrimination between closely related plant species and are quickly replacing single and multi-locus barcoding regions as reference materials of choice for DNA based taxonomic annotation of plants. Bixa orellana, commonly known as "achiote" and "annatto" is a plant used for both human and animal foods and was thus identified for full chloroplast sequencing for the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Complete Chloroplast Animal Feed database. This work was conducted in collaboration with the Instituto de Medicina Tradicional (IMET) in Iquitos, Peru. There is a wide range of color variation in pods of Bixa orellana for which genetic loci that distinguish phenotypes have not yet been identified. Here we apply whole chloroplast genome sequencing of "red" and "yellow" individuals of Bixa orellana to provide high quality reference genomes to support kmer database development for use identifying this plant from complex mixtures using shotgun data. Additionally, we describe chloroplast gene content, synteny and phylogeny, and identify an indel and snp that may be associated with seed pod color. RESULTS: Fully assembled chloroplast genomes were produced for both red and yellow Bixa orellana accessions (158,918 and 158,823 bp respectively). Synteny and gene content was identical to the only other previously reported full chloroplast genome of Bixa orellana (NC_041550). We observed a 17 base pair deletion at position 58,399-58,415 in both accessions, relative to NC_041550 and a 6 bp deletion at position 75,531-75,526 and a snp at position 86,493 in red Bixa orellana. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide high quality reference genomes of individuals of red and yellow Bixa orellana to support kmer based identity markers for use with shotgun sequencing approaches for rapid, precise identification of Bixa orellana from complex mixtures. Kmer based phylogeny of full chloroplast genomes supports monophylly of Bixaceae consistent with alignment based approaches. A potentially discriminatory indel and snp were identified that may be correlated with the red phenotype.

Effect of dispersed form on the bioavailability of ß-carotene from daily intake in humans.

In a randomized double-blind crossover study, a canned beverage was prepared using an emulsion dispersion formulation (EM) of ß-carotene and a crystal dispersion formulation (CR) of ß-carotene; the beverages were ingested by human subjects daily for 2 weeks to compare the ß-carotene bioavailability. EM-ß-carotene enhanced the ß-carotene concentrations in human plasma approximately 4-fold, but CR-ß-carotene showed no statistically significant enhancement. Bioaccessibility is the ratio of the solubilized fraction to the whole amount ingested. Bioaccessibility of ß-carotene from EM-ß-carotene was higher than that from CR-ß-carotene in an in vitro digestion test. Contrarily, ß-carotene from CR-ß-carotene, consists of all-trans-ß-carotene, was higher than that from EM-ß-carotene, consists of a mixture of cis and all-trans-ß-carotene, on the uptake by intestinal Caco-2 cells, suggesting that bioaccessibility was a critical factor in ß-carotene bioavailability in this study. EM-ß-carotene thus has potential as a food coloring agent with value added because it enhances ß-carotene bioavailability.

Yellow-colored extract from cashew byproduct - Nonclinical safety assessment.

Natural and synthetic dyes are widely used in foodstuff, medicines and cosmetics industries to enhance and/or restore the color of the final products. This study aimed to evaluate the safety of oral consumption of one carotenoids and anacardic acids-enriched extract (CAE), obtained by green extraction from cashew apple residue fibers, a byproduct of the cashew juice industry. Presenting intense yellow color, CAE could be proposed as a new natural dye. Single and repeated-dose oral toxicity (30 days) were evaluated in female Swiss mice at doses ranging from 50 to 1000 mg/kg, while (anti)mutagenic effects were evaluated in CHO-K1 cells (in vitro Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus assay - CBMN) and in erythrocytes collected from murine bone marrow (in vivo). CAE did not induce toxic or mutagenic effects in female mice even after 30 days of treatment, regardless of the dose used. Considering cyclophosphamide (CPA)-challenged animals treated with CAE, neither antimutagenic effect was observed nor CAE increased CPA-mutagenic effects although in vitro CBMN results indicated that CAE might increase methyl methanesulfonate-induced micronuclei (MN) frequency besides promoting reduction on CPA-induced MN frequency. The obtained results suggest that CAE may be a safe source of carotenoids with potential use as industrial dye.

Polishing Methods' Influence on Color Stability and Roughness of 2 Provisional Prosthodontic Materials.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the roughness and color change of a conventional acrylic resin and a bis-acryl resin, submitted to different types of polishing and exposed to a staining solution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred specimens were manufactured from an autopolymerizing conventional acrylic resin (Duralay, shade 66) (n = 50) and a bis-acryl resin (Protemp 4, shade A3) (n = 50) according to the manufacturers' instructions. Specimens were subdivided into 10 groups (n = 10), according to the type of resin and polishing method, including no-polishing (control groups for acrylic resin [tungsten bur finishing] and bis-acryl resin [cotton and alcohol]), Enhance System, Edenta kit, Labordental kit, and sandpaper. The specimens were immersed in a staining solution (coffee at 60°C) for 7 days. Surface roughness was evaluated before the first immersion (baseline - Ra1) and after 7 days (Ra2). The color change (∆E) was determined after 24 hours (∆E1) and 7 days (∆E2), by CIE L* a* b* scale. Data were statistically analyzed with 3-way ANOVA for repeated measures test and Tukey test (α = 0.05). RESULTS: According to 3-way ANOVA test, material, polishing techniques, and polishing*material factors exhibited statistically significant influence (p < 0.0001) on the roughness, and, for color change, material, polishing techniques, time, polishing*material, and material*time factors were statistically significant (p < 0.0001). The polishing techniques successfully reduced the surface roughness of acrylic resin groups, when compared to control (p < 0.001), but for bis-acryl resin, results were not different from the control group (Enhance: p = 0.954, Edenta: p = 0.866, sandpaper: p = 0.366, Labordental: p = 0.945). Surface roughness was not affected by the immersion in staining solution for 7 days. Color change of acrylic resin groups after 24 hours and 7 days of immersion exhibited a clinically acceptable value (ΔE < 3.7) with the exception of the Enhance group, and all bis-acryl resin groups exhibited a clinically unacceptable color change value (ΔE > 3.7) independent of polishing technique and time interval (∆E1 and ∆E2). CONCLUSIONS: Roughness of both materials was similar when the polishing techniques studied were performed, although Ra values were superior to the clinically acceptable values (0.20 µm), and were not affected by the immersion protocol studied; however, when esthetics are critical, the selection of material type is more important than the surface treatment technique used, and bis-acryl resin was more susceptible to clinically unacceptable color change after immersion in a staining solution.

A simple and rapid resonance Rayleigh scattering method for detection of indigo carmine in soft drink.

A novel method that uses acridine orange (AO) to detect indigo carmine (IC) in soft drinks was developed. The method is highly sensitive and is based on a resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) technique. In Britton-Robinson (BR) buffer solution, pH 4.3, the weak RRS intensity of AO was greatly enhanced by the addition of IC, with the maximum peak located at 332 nm. Under optimum conditions, it was found that the enhanced RRS intensity was proportional to the concentration of IC over a range of 2-32 × 10(-6)  mol/L. A low detection limit of 2.4 × 10(-8)  mol/L was achieved. The sensitivity and selectivity of the method are high enough to permit the determination of trace amounts of IC without any significant interference from high levels of other components such as common anions and other amino acids. Finally, the concentration of IC in three different soft drinks was determined with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A food color-based colorimetric assay for Cryptococcus neoformans laccase activity.

Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that causes cryptococcosis primarily in immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV/AIDS. One survival mechanism of C. neoformans during infection is melanin production, which catalyzed by laccase and protects fungal cells against immune attack. Hence, the comparative assessment of laccase activity is useful for characterizing cryptococcal strains. We serendipitously observed that culturing C. neoformans with food coloring resulted in degradation of some dyes with phenolic structures. Consequently, we investigated the color changes for the food dyes metabolized by C. neoformans laccase and by using this effect explored the development of a colorimetric assay to measure laccase activity. We developed several versions of a food dye-based colorimetric laccase assay that can be used to compare the relative laccase activities between different C. neoformans strains. We found that phenolic color degradation was glucose-dependent, which may reflect changes in the reduction properties of the media. Our food color-based colorimetric assay has several advantages, including lower cost, irreversibility, and not requiring constant monitoring , over the commonly used 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay for determining laccase activity. This method has potential applications to bioremediation of water pollutants in addition to its use in determining laccase virulence factor expression.IMPORTANCECryptococcus neoformans is present in the environment, and while infection is common, disease occurs mostly in immunocompromised individuals. C. neoformans infection in the lungs results in symptoms like pneumonia, and consequently, cryptococcal meningitis occurs if the fungal infection spreads to the brain. The laccase enzyme catalyzes the melanization reaction that serves as a virulence factor for C. neoformans. Developing a simple and less costly assay to determine the laccase activity in C. neoformans strains can be useful for a variety of procedures ranging from studying the relative virulence of cryptococci to environmental pollution studies.

On the manipulation, and meaning(s), of color in food: A historical perspective.

While there has long been public concern over the use of artificial/synthetic food colors, it should be remembered that food and drink products (e.g., red wine) have been purposefully colored for millennia. This narrative historical review highlights a number of reasons that food and drink have been colored, including to capture the shopper's visual attention through to signaling the likely taste/flavor. Over the course of the last century, there has, on occasion, also been interest in the playful, or sometimes even deliberately discombobulating, use of food coloring by modernist chefs and others. The coloring (or absence of color) of food and drink can, though, sometimes also take on more of a symbolic meaning, and, in a few cases, specific food colors may acquire a signature, or branded (i.e., semantic) association. That said, with food color being associated with so many different potential "meanings," it is an open question as to which meaning the consumer will associate with any given instance of color in food, and what role context may play in their decision. Laboratory-based sensory science research may not necessarily successfully capture the full range of meanings that may be associated with food color in the mind of the consumer. Nevertheless, it seems likely that food color will continue to play an important role in dictating consumer behavior in the years to come, even though the visual appearance of food is increasingly being mediated via technological means, including virtual and augmented reality.

A Review of the Association of Blue Food Coloring With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Children.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, is a neurodevelopmental disorder diagnosed in children. The exact cause of ADHD is not known, but, along with genetic factors, it is possible that environmental factors including toxins and diet may affect symptom severity. Of these dietary components, artificial food coloring (AFC), while approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has been suspected to be associated with ADHD symptoms. Of the nine FDA-certified food colors, two are used for artificial blue coloring: Blue No. 1 and Blue No. 2. There is limited literature describing the possible role of blue AFC in causing symptoms of ADHD in children. This paper provides a review of the literature surrounding artificial food coloring and its ability to affect the neurodevelopment of children in a way that could increase the behavioral indicators of ADHD. To do this, search criteria were established using a combination of MeSH terms about blue AFCs and ADHD and were entered into PubMed, along with limits on article types and publication dates from January 2000 to June 2022. There was a total of 20 articles that met this search criterion. These articles were reviewed by authors, and the ones not relevant to the topic were excluded. In total, four studies were chosen to be included in this article. After reviewing the literature, it was found that restriction diets, specifically those excluding AFCs, may affect symptom severity. The source of these changes is not known, but possible mechanisms include AFCs causing nutritional deficiencies and allergic reactions or altering neurotransmitter levels. More research is necessary to describe the neurotoxicity of artificial blue dyes in humans.

Dynamic changes in betanin content during the growing season of table beet: their interplay with abiotic factors.

The table beet, a widespread edible root crop known for its medicinal and antioxidant properties, early maturation, good shelf life, and high contents of bioactive compounds, vitamins and minerals, is used for the production of a natural red food dye. The relevance of this study is dictated by the lack of knowledge about the dynamic changes in the content of betanin during the growing season when developing table beet cultivars with a focus on pigment extraction. The article presents the results of a study of 29 red-colored table beet accessions from the collection of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR). Dynamic changes in the content of the pigment during the growing season were observed on two beet accessions, cvs. 'Russkaya odnosemyannaya' and 'Bordo odnosemyannaya'. Four pH versions of the buffer solution were tested, and the test results are presented. A buffer solution with pH 6.5 is recommended for research purposes. The amplitude of variability in the content of betanin in the peel (39.9-239.2 mg/100 g) and f lesh (14.4-127.5 mg/100 g) of beets was determined. It was conf irmed that the content of betanin in the peel exceeded that in the f lesh in all samples. A positive relationship between these indicators was revealed (r = 0.74, p ≤ 0.05). It was found that betanin accumulation did not occur in beet roots during the growing season. The pigment showed considerable f luctuations associated with abiotic environmental factors. Correlation analysis showed a signif icant positive relationship between air temperature and betanin content in the root f lesh (r = 0.32-0.31, p ≤ 0.05). A negative impact of environmental temperature on betanin content in the peel manifested itself on the third day (r = -0.34…-0.35, p ≤ 0.05). The negative response to precipitation was less expressed in cv. 'Bordo odnosemyannaya' due to the genotype's more active metabolism and plasticity. Structural morphological features of the photosynthetic apparatus were described for the tested accessions, and their interrelations with the studied character were specif ied. Recommendations are given concerning the choice of a planting pattern and the timing of table beet harvesting for pigment extraction.

Encapsulation techniques perfect the antioxidant action of carotenoids: A systematic review of how this effect is promoted.

Considering that antioxidant activities are directly related to carotenoid functionalities, it is necessary to use techniques that promote the stability of these natural pigments. This systematic review aimed to gather evidence on the effect of encapsulation techniques on the maintenance and/or enhancement of the antioxidant activity of carotenoids. The study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020142065). Searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, Virtual Health Library, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science databases. Assessment of methodological quality was performed using OHAT. A total of 1577 articles were selected, resulting in 20 eligible studies. Overall, results showed that the mechanisms involved are related to the emergence of new chemical interactions, increased surface area, and the controlled release of carotenoids. Thus, evidence proved that encapsulation could preserve and/or enhance bioactivities of carotenoids, allowing the use in foods to promote benefits on population health.

What's the Story With Blue Steak? On the Unexpected Popularity of Blue Foods.

Is blue food desirable or disgusting? The answer, it would seem, is both, but it really depends on the food in which the color happens to be present. It turns out that the oft-cited aversive response to blue meat may not even have been scientifically validated, despite the fact that blue food coloring is often added to discombobulate diners. In the case of drinks, however, there has been a recent growth of successful new blue product launches in everything from beer to tea, and from wine to gin, arguing that coloring food products blue is more than simply a contemporary fad. In fact, the current interest in blue food coloring builds on the color's earlier appearance in everything from blue curacao to blue-raspberry candyfloss (cotton candy), and thereafter a number of soft drinks. Over the years, the combination of blue coloring with raspberry flavoring has also appeared in everything from bubble-gum to patriotic pop rocks (popping candy in The United States). Ultimately, it is the rarity of naturally-blue foods that is likely what makes this color so special. As such, blue food coloring can both work effectively to attract the visual attention of the shopper while, at the same time, being linked to a range of different flavors (since this is one of the few color-flavor mappings that are essentially arbitrary) depending on the food format in which it happens to appear. Note also that the basic descriptor "blue" covers a wide range of hues having a range of different associations, hence eliciting different reactions (be they positive or negative). While blue was once associated with artificiality, a growing number of natural blue food colorings have come onto the market in recent years thus perhaps changing the dominant associations that many consumers may have with this most unusual of food colors.

Mixed starch/chitosan hydrogels: elastic properties as modelled through simulated annealing algorithm and their ability to strongly reduce yellow sunset (INS 110) release.

Biopolymers mixtures appear as a strategy to improve sensorial/technological characteristics of gel-like products. Thus, self-sustaining starch (S100/C0) hydrogels were prepared with a partial replacement of the gelling agent by 5.0 % (S95/C5), 7.5 % (S92.5/C7.5), or 10.0 % chitosan (S90/C10), and containing yellow sunset (INS 110). Major visual changes or significant differences on L*a*b* parameters were not observed for starch/chitosan hydrogels. Creep-recovery data was modeled using the simulated annealing algorithm, and relative recovery results showed an increase for S95/C5 (82.6 %), when compared to S100/C0 (72.9 %). After 312 h, chitosan strongly reduced the INS 110 release from hydrogels to an ethanolic solution (3.1∙10-4 and 4.1∙10-3 g/100 mL for S95/C5 and S100/C0, respectively) or to a sucrose solution (1.1∙10-3 and 6.5∙10-3 g/100 mL for S95/C5 and S100/C0, respectively). Such results highlighted that chitosan not only presented a techno-functionality on starch hydrogels by improving their elasticity but also by hindering the release of yellow sunset.

Effects of Coloring Food Images on the Propensity to Eat: A Placebo Approach With Color Suggestions.

BACKGROUND: Research findings on the appetite-enhancing effect of the color red and the appetite-reducing effect of blue have been inconsistent. The present study used a placebo approach and investigated whether verbal suggestions can enhance color-appetite effects. METHOD: A total of 448 women participated in two experiments. They viewed images with differently colored sweet foods (original color, blue, red, colorless (black-and-white); experiment 1; n = 217) or sweet foods on blue, red, white, and gray backgrounds; experiment 2; n = 231). Before viewing the images, half of the participants received information about the effects of red and blue food color on appetite (color suggestion). The other half received no suggestion. For each of the experiments, the reported propensity to eat (food wanting) was compared between the conditions. RESULTS: All colored food items were associated with a lower propensity to eat compared to the food items in the original color. The color suggestion (compared to no suggestion) additionally decreased the propensity to eat blue and black-and-white food items. Colored backgrounds did not influence food wanting. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that red and blue coloring of visual food cues did not have the predicted effects on food wanting. However, the combination of specific food colors with specific color suggestions might be useful to change the willingness to eat sweet products.

Impact of Juice Extraction Method (Flash Détente vs. Conventional Must Heating) and Chemical Treatments on Color Stability of Rubired Juice Concentrates under Accelerated Aging Conditions.

Low color stability of Rubired food and beverage coloring negatively impacts color yield during production and storage while also limiting the use of this type of food colorant in applications where color stability is a key requirement. This study investigated the impact on color stability of using flash détente (FD) for Rubired color extraction in comparison to a conventional must heating (CMH) extraction process, in conjunction with the use of commercial seed tannin, acetaldehyde, or acid to lower the pH. Rubired concentrate color was evaluated under accelerated aging conditions at 50, 60, and 70 °C, over zero, three, six, and nine days for the different treatments. FD concentrate had lower color stability, with a half-life of 203.3 h and activation energy of 59.2 kJ/mol at 50 °C compared to the CMH concentrate with 233.9 h and 65.2 kJ/mol. FD concentrate generated less 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) during accelerated aging regardless of treatment. Acetaldehyde, low pH, and the combination of these two treatments increased red color stability as well as violet and brown color, whereas seed tannin had no effect. Low pH treatments increased 5-HMF formation and browning, which was detrimental to concentrate quality. Although promising in terms of color stabilization, implementation of these treatments will require development of solutions to mitigate the production of 5-HMF.

Biological Effects of Food Coloring in In Vivo and In Vitro Model Systems.

(1) Background: The suitability of certain food colorings is nowadays in discussion because of the effects of these compounds on human health. For this reason, in the present work, the biological effects of six worldwide used food colorings (Riboflavin, Tartrazine, Carminic Acid, Erythrosine, Indigotine, and Brilliant Blue FCF) were analyzed using two model systems. (2) Methods: In vivo toxicity, antitoxicity, and longevity assays using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster and in vitro cytotoxicity, DNA fragmentation, and methylation status assays using HL-60 tumor human cell line were carried out. (3) Results: Our in vivo results showed safe effects in Drosophila for all the food coloring treatments, non-significant protective potential against an oxidative toxin, and different effects on the lifespan of flies. The in vitro results in HL-60 cells, showed that the tested food colorings increased tumor cell growth but did not induce any DNA damage or modifications in the DNA methylation status at their acceptable daily intake (ADI) concentrations. (4) Conclusions: From the in vivo and in vitro studies, these results would support the idea that a high chronic intake of food colorings throughout the entire life is not advisable.

Crocus sativus a natural food coloring and flavoring has potent anti-tumor properties.

BACKGROUND: Saffron, the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L., is a highly valued agricultural product that is used mainly as a food coloring and flavoring agent. Three main secondary metabolites of Crocus sativus including crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal are responsible for the color, the bitter taste and for the odor and aroma, respectively. As a component of traditional medicine, saffron has been utilized as a medicinal herb for treating various ailments including cramps, asthma, liver disease, menstruation disorders, pain, and in the pathogenesis of cancer. HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE: To summarize the recent published data on the chemo-preventive properties of Crocus sativus in cancer treatment. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a non-systematic review of the literature. METHODS: A search of English-language literature was performed using Scopus, EMBASE and PubMed. We applied no restriction in time. Articles were searched using the keywords "Lung", "breast", "skin", "prostate", "leukemia", "cancer", "neoplasm", "tumor", "malignancy", "saffron", "crocus sativus", "crocin", "crocetin", "picrocrocin", and "safranal". RESULTS: Saffron has been reported to exert anti-tumor and anti-cancer effects in various types of cancer including lung cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, skin cancer and prostate cancer. This appears to be via various mechanisms including: the induction of apoptosis, arresting cell cycle progression, suppressing expression of matrix metalloproteinase, modulatory effects on some phase II detoxifying enzymes and decreasing expression of inflammatory molecules are potential mechanisms of saffron-induced anticancer effects. CONCLUSION: Saffron possesses potent anti-tumor properties and represents an efficacious and safe treatment.

Saffron against Components of Metabolic Syndrome: Current Status and Prospective.

Saffron, the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L., is mainly used as a food coloring and flavoring agent. This agricultural product is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases including asthma, liver disease, menstruation disorders, and, of special interest in this review, metabolic syndrome. Saffron and its active components including crocin, crocetin, and safranal are potential therapeutic candidates for attenuating MetS complications including hypertension, hyperglycemia, obesity, and dyslipidemia. This review summarizes the protective role of saffron and its constituents in the pathogenesis of MetS for a better understanding and hence a better management of this disease.