A SCREENING METHOD FOR THE TOXICITY OF FOOD DYES USING ARTEMIA SALINA LARVAE

Abstract

The toxic effects of 13 food dyes were studied on Artemia salina larvae. It was found that xanthene dyes containing halogen atoms in their molecules were more toxic, Phloxin and Rose Bengal containing chlorine especially toxic, than the other groups of food dyes. The effect of food dyes on leucine aminopeptidase and lactate dehydrogenase activities in Artemia salina was studied in order to investigate the mechanism of the toxicity. It was shown that lactate dehydrogenase activity was inhibited completely by Phloxin and Rose Bengal, and that leucine aminopeptidase activity was not inhibited by these dyes in contrast to the remarkable inhibition of that in Paramecium caudatum by these dyes. These results and some kinetic experiments described later suggested that the property of leucine aminopeptidase from Paramecium caudatum was different from that of Artemia salina. The effect of food dyes on lactate dehydrogenase activity was also studied in vitro and the mechanism of the toxicity was discussed in relation to the anaerobic metabolism in Artemia salina.