Common food emulsifiers impair epithelial barrier integrity and trigger pro-inflammatory responses and IgE production
This study investigates the biological effects of two commonly used food emulsifiers in peanut butter, soy lecithin and diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides (DATEM) on gastrointestinal tissue responses and immune responses using advanced in vitro gut-on-a-chip models, human adult stem cell-derived colon organoids-on-a-chip, and murine models. Both emulsifiers induced dose-dependent cytotoxicity and disrupted epithelial barriers, as demonstrated by reduced transepithelial electrical resistance and zona occludin-1 disorganization in daily-exposed doses.