Common Food Emulsifiers Impair Epithelial Barrier Integrity and Trigger Pro-Inflammatory Responses and IgE Production

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Immunology
• Toxicology

Background:

• Global rise in allergic and autoimmune diseases linked to environmental disruption of epithelial barriers.
• Food emulsifiers, prevalent in processed foods, are implicated factors.
• Soy lecithin and DATEM are common emulsifiers in peanut butter.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the biological effects of soy lecithin and DATEM on gastrointestinal and immune responses.
• Assess emulsifier impact on epithelial barrier integrity and inflammatory pathways.
• Determine potential role in allergy development and gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases.

Main Methods:

• Utilized in vitro gut-on-a-chip models and colon organoids-on-a-chip.
• Employed murine models for in vivo assessments.
• Conducted transcriptomic, proteomic, and immunological analyses.

Main Results:

• Both emulsifiers caused dose-dependent cytotoxicity and disrupted epithelial barriers.
• Pro-inflammatory pathways (TNF, NF-κB), unfolded protein response, and apoptosis were activated.
• Emulsifiers stimulated IgG and IgE production, indicating potential allergy development.

Conclusions:

• Soy lecithin and DATEM challenge presumed safety due to observed toxicity and barrier disruption.
• Emulsifiers may contribute to immune dysregulation and epithelial dysfunction.
• Findings suggest a role in initiating or exacerbating food allergies and GI inflammatory diseases.