Food colors caught red-handed
Anmol Kulkarni1, Steffen Jung1
1Department of Immunology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76101, Israel.
Cell Metabolism
|July 7, 2021
Summary
Widely used food colorants may trigger inflammatory bowel disorders (IBD)-like colitis in mice, highlighting environmental factors in IBD etiology. Further research is needed to understand these food additives
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology and Nutrition Science
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel disorders (IBD) result from complex genetic and environmental interactions.
- While genetic factors are well-studied, environmental triggers for IBD remain largely undefined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of common food colorants as environmental factors contributing to IBD.
- To explore the link between dietary components and the development of colitis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a mouse model to assess the effects of food colorants.
- Induce colitis-like symptoms in mice exposed to specific food dyes.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that widely used food colorants can induce IBD-like colitis in mice.
- Identified a potential environmental pathway contributing to the development of inflammatory bowel conditions.
Conclusions:
- Food colorants represent a significant, underappreciated environmental factor in IBD pathogenesis.
- Findings suggest a need to re-evaluate the safety of food additives concerning gut health.
More Related Videos
09:46Qualitative Identification of Carboxylic Acids, Boronic Acids, and Amines Using Cruciform Fluorophores
Published on: August 19, 2013
15.8K
12:50Colorimetric Paper-based Detection of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes from Large Volumes of Agricultural Water
Published on: June 9, 2014
14.7K
Related Concept Videos
01:24Color Vision
1.0K
Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.
1.0K
01:03Fixation and Sectioning
6.8K
Two basic types of preparation are used to visualize specimens with a light microscope: wet mounts and fixed specimens.
The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added...
The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added...
6.8K
02:39Indicators
51.3K
Certain organic substances change color in dilute solution when the hydronium ion concentration reaches a particular value. For example, phenolphthalein is a colorless substance in any aqueous solution with a hydronium ion concentration greater than 5.0 × 10−9 M (pH < 8.3). In more basic solutions where the hydronium ion concentration is less than 5.0 × 10−9 M (pH > 8.3), it is red or pink. Substances such as phenolphthalein, which can be used to determine the pH of a solution, are...
51.3K