Tartrazine

Tartrazine (Acid Yellow 23; FD&C Yellow No. 5) is an orally active azo acid dye, orange-yellow powder, soluble in water and turns yellow. Tartrazine is mainly used as a synthetic lemon yellow azo dye for food coloring. Tartrazine is the most stable colorant.Tartrazine induces mitochondria-mediated Apoptosis. Tartrazine can cause neurodevelopmental toxicity, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]}. In Vitro:Tartrazine (12.5-100 μg/mL, 72 h) shows cytotoxic and mutagenic effects on eukaryotic cells (MN01, FGH)^[1].
Tartrazine (5-20 μg/mL) induces chromosomal aberrations in mammalian cells (M. muntjac cells) ^[3].
Tartrazine (2500  μg/mL, 48 h) showes cytotoxic activity in human lymphocytes due to significant decrease in mitotic index (MI) in the absence of S9 mix^[4].
Tartrazine (10-2000 μM, 3-24 h) can be regarded as toxic in CHO cells, with decreasing intracellular GSH, increasing MDA levels)^[5].
Tartrazine (0-1000 µg/mL, 6 h) disrupts vascular formation in human primary endothelial cells^[8].
Tartrazine (0.25-64.0 mM) has significant genotoxicity, although has no cytotoxic effects^[9].
Tartrazine (6.25-800  mg/L, 96 h) induces neurodevelopmental toxicity via mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in zebrafish embryos^[10].
In Vivo:Tartrazine (1-7.5 mg/kg, p.o., 30 days) induces structural and functional aberrations as well as genotoxic effects in rats^[2].
Tartrazine (72 mg/kg, p.o., 60 days) is capable of producing free radicals, which in turn cause damage to the cellular compartment system of rat testis^[6].
Tartrazine (200 mg/kg, p.o., 60 days) shows diffuse vacuolar degeneration in hepatic parenchyma in rats^[7].
Tartrazine (175-700 mg/kg for mice, 125-500 mg/kg for rats, p.o., once a day for 30 d) produces a few adverse effects in learning and memory functions in animals (mice and rats)^[11].