Toxicity studies on Reactive Blue-2 leached from affinity material exposed to extreme chemical conditions

Toxicity effects related to leached ligands from affinity sorbents that can contaminate biological preparations were investigated in the particular case of immobilized Reactive Blue-2. Initially, identification of the real chemical structure of leached dye has been done by HPLC after incubation in extreme conditions. Toxicity investigations in vitro involving several well known tests showed no toxic effects within the studied range of dye concentration. Cell cultures behaved normally when the adhesion phase was successful; polyploidy induction in human cells by the native dye and its derivatives identified as possible leached material was very similar to standard cultures. Genotoxicity studies did not evidence any toxic effect in E. Coli cultures of dyes themselves or of the same dyes after metabolic activation.