title: Absence of mutagenic activity and a short-term toxicity study of beet pigments as food colorants.
abstract: Beet colorant was tested for mutagenic activity in five S. typhimurium strains. The absence of mutagenic activity was found with or without S-9 rat liver fractions. Groups of six rats were fed red beet colorant preparations containing 2,000 ppm betalains in the diet for 7 days. No significant differences were noted in body weight gains, feed consumption, or gross pathological alterations compared to the controls. These preliminary toxicological results indicate the potential usage of betalain pigments as a food colorant, but further long term investigations are warranted.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050858:Betalains; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005505:Food Coloring Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000633:toxicity*; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects; D014675:Vegetables
chemical_list: D005505:Food Coloring Agents; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D050858:Betalains