The synthetic food dye, Red 40, causes DNA damage, causes colonic inflammation, and impacts the microbiome in mice

Qi Zhang; Alexander A Chumanevich; Ivy Nguyen; Anastasiya A Chumanevich; Nora Sartawi; Jake Hogan; Minou Khazan; Quinn Harris; Bryson Massey; Ioulia Chatzistamou; Phillip J Buckhaults; Carolyn E Banister; Michael Wirth; James R Hebert; E Angela Murphy; Lorne J Hofseth

doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.08.006

The synthetic food dye, Red 40, causes DNA damage, causes colonic inflammation, and impacts the microbiome in mice

Toxicol Rep. 2023 Sep 6:11:221-232. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.08.006. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Qi Zhang¹, Alexander A Chumanevich¹, Ivy Nguyen¹, Anastasiya A Chumanevich¹, Nora Sartawi¹, Jake Hogan¹, Minou Khazan¹, Quinn Harris¹, Bryson Massey¹, Ioulia Chatzistamou², Phillip J Buckhaults¹, Carolyn E Banister¹, Michael Wirth³, James R Hebert⁴, E Angela Murphy², Lorne J Hofseth¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
² Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
³ Department of Biobehavioral Health & Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.

Abstract

The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) among young people has been on the rise for the past four decades and its underlying causes are only just starting to be uncovered. Recent studies suggest that consuming ultra-processed foods and pro-inflammatory diets may be contributing factors. The increase in the use of synthetic food colors in such foods over the past 40 years, including the common synthetic food dye Allura Red AC (Red 40), coincides with the rise of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC). As these ultra-processed foods are particularly appealing to children, there is a growing concern about the impact of synthetic food dyes on the development of CRC. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of Red 40 on DNA damage, the microbiome, and colonic inflammation. Despite a lack of prior research, high levels of human exposure to pro-inflammatory foods containing Red 40 highlight the urgency of exploring this issue. Our results show that Red 40 damages DNA both in vitro and in vivo and that consumption of Red 40 in the presence of a high-fat diet for 10 months leads to dysbiosis and low-grade colonic inflammation in mice. This evidence supports the hypothesis that Red 40 is a dangerous compound that dysregulates key players involved in the development of EOCRC.

Keywords: Colorectal cancer; DNA damage; Microbiome; P53; Red 40.

Abstract

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