Effects of E407a on the viability, metabolic and functional activity of dermal fibroblasts

Anton Tkachenko,Volodymyr Prokopiuk,Maria Shevchenko,Anatolii Onishchenko

doi:10.23950/jcmk/11229

Anton Tkachenko, Volodymyr Prokopiuk + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.23950/jcmk/11229

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Abstract

Aim. To evaluate the effects of semi-refined carrageenan (E407a) on the viability, metabolic and functional activity of skin fibroblasts in vitro. Materials and methods. Various concentrations of E407a (0 – 10 mg/ml) were incubated for 24 h with skin fibroblast cultures isolated from rat embryos. The viability of cells exposed to semi-refined carrageenan was assessed by the neutral red uptake assay. MTT test was selected to estimate the metabolic activity of cells. In addition, scratch assay was used to determine the functional activity of dermal fibroblasts. Results. Direct exposure to semi-refined carrageenan did not affect the viability of rat dermal fibroblasts, evidenced by the results of MTT and neutral red uptake assays. However, experimental data of MTT and scratch assays revealed that high concentrations of this food additive increased the metabolic activity of fibroblasts and diminished the motility of these cells, suggesting that E407a is cytotoxic at high concentrations. Conclusion. Food-grade semi-refined carrageenan is cytotoxic towards skin fibroblasts at high concentrations.

Highlights

Food additives are either naturally occurring or artificial compounds whose purpose is to improve the texture of foods, increase their shelf-life and improve their organoleptic properties
International regulatory authorities such as the U.S.-based Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have initiated the thoughtful reevaluation of food additives to guarantee their safety for consumers
The complex assessment of semi-refined carrageenan cytotoxicity to skin fibroblasts performed in this study shows that partial toxic effects are typical only for high concentrations of this food additive

Summary

Introduction

Food additives are either naturally occurring or artificial compounds whose purpose is to improve the texture of foods, increase their shelf-life and improve their organoleptic properties. International regulatory authorities such as the U.S.-based Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have initiated the thoughtful reevaluation of food additives to guarantee their safety for consumers. The content of carrageenans, which are registered as native carrageenan (E407) and semi-refined form (E407a) can vary to a high extent and may reach 0.5-1% of weight for some dairy products, processed meat and fruit-based processed foods [5]

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