Abstract
This study focuses on the assessment of fascin expression in the small intestinal tissue of rats orally administered a food additive E407a (processed Eucheuma seaweed), which is widely used to improve the texture of food products. The issue of its safety is under debate nowadays. Small intestinal expression of fascin, an actin-bundling cytoskeletal protein involved in the formation of filopodia and microspikes, was evaluated immunohistochemically in 9 rats exposed to 140 mg of E407a per kg of weight daily during two weeks and 8 control animals. Fascin was found to be upregulated both in the lamina propria and epithelia of the small intestine in rats administered processed Eucheuma seaweed compared with the control group. Thus, oral consumption of E407a is associated with overexpression of fascin in the small intestine of rats.
Highlights
Carrageenans (CGNs) are hydrophilic, sulfated polysaccharides composed of galactose derivatives linked with α-1,4 and β-1,3-glycosidic bonds [1]
This study focuses on the assessment of fascin expression in the small intestinal tissue of rats orally administered a food additive E407a, which is widely used to improve the texture of food products
We evaluated the expression of fascin in the small intestinal mucosa of a total of nine rats consumed a common food additive PES whose major ingredient is kappa-carrageenan during a fortnight and eight control animals
Summary
Carrageenans (CGNs) are hydrophilic, sulfated polysaccharides composed of galactose derivatives linked with α-1,4 and β-1,3-glycosidic bonds [1]. CGNs are categorized into several types, including λ, κ, ι, ε, μ, depending on the sulfation degree, which can reach 35% [4]. The share of CGN market is the fourth largest among hydrocolloid additives and approximately 70,000 tones of this food additive is produced annually [2]. In addition to its role of a food additive, CGNs are added to meat as a cheap non-meat ingredient. This is considered an illegal food fraud [5]
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