IMMUNE RESPONSE AFTER TARTRAZINE SUBCHRONIC INGESTION IN SWISS ALBINO MICE

Objective: Tartrazine is one of the most widely used dyes in food products, drugs and cosmetics. The present study was conducted to evaluate the immune response after subchronic ingestion of Tartrazine in Swiss mice. Methods: Tartrazine was administered to adult mice at doses of 0.45 and 1% for 13 weeks. Subsequently, 6 mice in each group were immunized with an emulsion of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA). Results: Our results show that Tartrazine induced a significant decrease in body weight in male and female treated with 0.45 and 1% (**p<0.01 and *p<0.05 respectively). However, spleen and thymus relative weight and titles of IgG anti-BSA were decreased significantly only in male treated groups (*p <0.05 and **p <0.01). The histological and cytological examinations revealed an expansion of medullar sinuses in the spleen of mice treated with 0.45% and 1% of Tartrazine with hemosiderin deposits and an inflammation with partial villous atrophy in the intestine, as well as cell density and morphology modification in thymus, spleen and intestine tissues of mice treated with 1%. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that subchronic ingestion of Tartrazine at dose of 1% alters the humoral immune response in male mice and cellular lymphoid organs, thus it affects the immune system function.