The features of the normal ultrastructure of the rat duodenum and under the combined effect of the food additives complex

Abstract

Food additives are not commonly considered as a food product, though they are supplemented for technological purposes in the production process and as a result become an integral part of them. Adverse reactions to food additives in children have been reported, as well as the impact of food additives, artificial sweeteners on the human intestinal microbiome and its ability to ferment fibers. The findings of our study on the content of food additives in domestic and foreign products showed that the most commonly used food additives were monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrite and Ponceau 4R. Recently, the growing use of monosodium glutamate, a well-known food additive (also used in baby food product) and a component of some vaccines is a cause for concern due to its potential impact on human health. It is difficult to find semi-finished or finished products made industrially, which would not have the above additive. A group of Ukrainian researchers have studied the structural and functional changes in the rat large intestine wall under the effect of monosodium glutamate. The findings of the studies have shown that long-term daily consumption of monosodium glutamate, even in safe doses, leads to morphological changes in the colon wall in the form of focal inflammatory changes of the mucous membrane, blood circulation disorders in the intestinal wall, occurrence of erosive ulcers and dysplastic changes. In Ukraine, the food additive E-250 (sodium nitrite) is widely used as a color retainer in the manufacturing of meat products. Chronic exposure to sodium nitrite provokes the development of oxidative stress (increased 2,3-bisphosphoglyceric acid), inflammation (elevated interleukin-1-beta, which, in turn, causes a dramatic rise of iNOS activity), the development of endothelial dysfunction (increased von Willebrand factor). Ponceau 4R is a colorant of synthetic origin, which has a bright red color. It opens a whole palette of shades: yellow mixed with orange colorants gives brown, and when mixed with blue colorant, Ponceau gives a purple color. No natural colorant has been found to date, demonstrating a problem to be investigated in the future. Noteworthy, although necessary, these substances are responsible for the high frequency of allergic reactions. Current scientific publications elucidate the outcomes of the effects of various food additives on organs and systems; however, insufficient data have been found to date, as previous studies were based on the effects of food additives alone, which does not reveal the full picture, as in practice manufacturers use them in combination.