Cell experiment:

The alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis assay (comet assay) is performed. Briefly, 2×105 HepG2 cells are seeded in a 24-well plate for 24 h. The cells are then treated with Erythrosine B at 0.1, 0.2, 2.0, 10.0, 25.0, 50.0 or 70.0 μg/mL (final concentration) for 4 h; vehicle control (0.7% DMSO) and positive control (doxorubicin0.3 μg/mL) treatments are also performed. The HepG2 cell suspension is mixed with 37℃ low-melting point agarose and transferred to normal-melting point agarose-coated slides. One hundred randomly chosen nucleoids are analyzed per treatment, and a total of three independent experiments are performed[1].

Erythrosin B is an artificial dye widely used in the food and textile industries. Erythrosin B is also a novel photosensitizer which has been used to develop animal models.

Only the two highest concentrations of Erythrosin B tested (50.0 and 70.0 μg/mL) are significantly different (p<0.05) from the vehicle control group when the Tail Moment and Tail Intensity, which represent the extent of DNA damage, are analyzed. Results show increased micronuclei (MNi) frequencies at six of the seven Erythrosin B concentrations (0.2 to 70.0 μg/mL) when compare to vehicle control group[1].

[1]. Chen W, et al. Establishing an experimental rat model of photodynamically-induced retinal vein occlusion using erythrosin B. Int J Ophthalmol. 2014 Apr 18;7(2):232-8. [2]. Chequer FM, et al. Genotoxic and mutagenic effects of erythrosine B, a xanthene food dye, on HepG2 cells. Food Chem Toxicol. 2012 Oct;50(10):3447-51.