Cancer chemopreventive activity of synthetic colorants used in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic preparations.

In continuation with our studies to uncover cancer chemopreventive effects of non-toxic natural colorants and other products of biologic and synthetic origin, we tested several Food and Drug Administration-approved synthetic colorants for antitumor promoting potential by the in vitro Epstein-Barr virus early antigen activation in Raji cells in response to the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Among 29 such colorants used in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics and evaluated in vitro, six of the 10 most effective had an azo group. Three structurally unrelated colorants tested in this assay were also studied in vivo for chemoprevention of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced TPA-promoted mouse skin carcinogenesis. The results indicate that tartrazine, indigo carmine and erythrosine are potent inhibitors of skin tumor promotion in mice treated with DMBA and TPA.