The Effect of food colors and sodium benzoate on rat peritoneal mast cells

It is known that most of the widely used food, drinks and cosmetics contain food colors and additives may pro duce anaf lactic reactions. Some of the skin tests and mast cells of the peritoneum studies with food colors and addi tives showed pozitive reactions while some others revealed negative response. Yet most of the authors reported that, sensitive organisms show hypersensitive reactions to food additives. In this study rats were fed with certificated food colors ponceau and tartrazine and sodium benzoate, during 3 months. After this period their small bowel mesenterium were dissected. The mast cells were then exa mined morphologically by light microscope. The findings revealed that ponceau is the most effective agent over the mast cells. Following ponceau, tartrazine is found the se cond and NaB the least effective agent. We were found less effective when used combined with NaB compared when used alone. -IV-