Investigation of genetic and epigenetic changes caused by food dye Amaranth in human lymphocytes

Food dyes are used to restore the natural color of foods, to create more vivid and appetizing colors and to make products attractive to consumers. Azo dyes, which are among the food dyes, are mostly preferred for this purpose. Amaranth, an azo dye, is used in many fields such as cosmetics, textile and paper production, apart from the food sector. Amaranth food coloring is considered to be harmful to health due to its azo functional group (-N=N-) and aromatic ring structure. In this study, genetic and epigenetic changes caused by amaranth in human lymphocytes were investigated using IRAP and ISSR molecular methods. Amaranth food coloring was applied at different doses and times (1 mM, 4 mM, 8 mM at 24 hours; 1 mM, 4 mM, 8 mM at 48 hours) within 72 hours of incubation of peripheral blood taken from one female and two male individuals for lymphocyte culture. According to PCR analysis results, % polymorphism and GTS values were calculated. It was determined that depending on the increase in the dose and duration of amaranth applied to lymphocytes, it caused an increase in the rate of polymorphism and a decrease in the rate of GTS. There is no study in the literature on amaranth food coloring and human lymphocytes using IRAP and ISSR methods. Both methods have been successfully used to determine the genotoxic effects on human lymphocyte cells.