Reproductive and neurobehavioural effects of lac dye administered in the diet to mice.

The natural colour additive, lac dye, was given in the diet to provide levels of 0 (control), 0.15, 0.30, and 0.60%, from 5 weeks of age in the F0 generation to 9 weeks of age in the F1 generation in mice, and selected reproductive and neurobehavioural parameters were measured. There were no adverse effects of lac dye on either litter size or litter weight and sex ratio at birth. The average body weight of offspring during the late lactation period was significantly increased in treatment groups of each sex. In the neurobehavioural parameters, swimming head angle was significantly affected in male offspring during the early lactation period in a dose-related manner, and olfactory orientation was significantly accelerated in female offspring in a dose-related manner. The dose levels of lac dye in the present study produced few adverse effects in reproductive and neurobehavioural parameters in mice.