Protective effect of blackthorn fruits (Prunus spinosa) against tartrazine toxicity development in albino Wistar rats

Igori Balta; Bogdan Sevastre; Vioara Mireşan; Marian Taulescu; Camelia Raducu; Adina Lia Longodor; Zamfir Marchiş; Codruta Stefania Mariş; Aurelia Coroian

doi:10.1186/s13065-019-0610-y

Protective effect of blackthorn fruits (Prunus spinosa) against tartrazine toxicity development in albino Wistar rats

BMC Chem. 2019 Aug 9;13(1):104. doi: 10.1186/s13065-019-0610-y. eCollection 2019 Dec.

Authors

Igori Balta¹, Bogdan Sevastre², Vioara Mireşan³, Marian Taulescu⁴, Camelia Raducu⁵, Adina Lia Longodor³, Zamfir Marchiş⁶, Codruta Stefania Mariş⁷, Aurelia Coroian¹

Affiliations

¹ 1Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Animal Science and Biotechnology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Manastur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Cluj Romania.
² 2Department of Physiopathology, Biology, Breading and Pathology of Laboratory Animals, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Manastur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Cluj Romania.
³ 3Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Manastur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Cluj Romania.
⁴ 4Department of Pathology, Necropsy Diagnosis, Forensics, Oncology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Manastur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Cluj Romania.
⁵ 5Department of Food Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Manastur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Cluj Romania.
⁶ 6Department of Horse Breeding Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Cluj Romania.
⁷ 7Environment and Soil Science Department, University of Lleida, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain.

Abstract

Background: Tartrazine (Yellow 5 or E102) is a synthetic food dye able to modify perception and behavior, causing agitation, confusion, rhinitis and can produce hyperactivity syndrome in children when is combined with benzoates. Additionally, it can trigger oxidative stress which consequently generates metabolic disorders. Therefore, the study was designed to evaluate the harmful effects of the food additive tartrazine and to observe beneficial properties of blackthorn fruits (Prunus spinosa) on the blood and organs of albino Wistar rats.

Materials and methods: This study was carried out on 20 mature Wistar rats, randomly divided into four groups of five animals. Over the course of the experiment, the control group received only food and drinking water, group I received 75 mg of tartrazine dissolved in (250 ml) water group II was given 75 mg of tartrazine and 200 mg of dried blackthorn fruit powder 200 mg dissolved simultaneously in (250 ml) of tartrazine-water mixture (aiming to reduce the tartrazine toxicity) and group III received a higher dose of tartrazine (100 mg) in (250 ml) of water.

Results: At the end of the experiment, values regarding kidney and liver weight were significantly increased, while the weight of the spleen was slightly decreased compared with the weight of the control group. Biochemical and hematological assays, of the blood samples show that the addition of tartrazine in the diet of rats caused significant changes in all biochemical and hematological parameters of the blood. In the group II, which received (P. spinosa) powder combined with tartrazine, the biochemical and hematological parameters had average values similar to the control group.

Conclusions: Histopathological assay showed that the application of tartrazine in the group I, II and III produced lesions of the kidneys, spleen and the liver for all rodents. Tartrazine was able to generate histopathological changes, which caused significantly tissue lesions of the liver and significant changes in blood parameters. Blackthorn powder showed a promising protective role for the blood parameters but demonstrated no significant benefits for the organs.

Keywords: Blood biochemistry; Hematology; Prunus spinosa; Rat histopathology; Tartrazine toxicity.