The Neurotoxic and Neurobehavioral Effects of “Tartrazine E102” Alone and in Combination with Lead Nitrate on the Sprague Dawley Rat

Background Tartrazine is an artificial coloring widely used in Moroccan gastronomy. Some utensils may contain a significant content of lead. Aims to study Tartrazine’s effects alone and in combination with lead on the central nervous system (CNS) in Sprague Dawley rats. Methods We randomized female Sprague Dawley rats (n = 60) into G1 received Tartrazine at 500 mg/kg by gavage, G2 received the same protocol in combination with lead nitrate at 100 mg/kg per peritoneal route and G3 (control group) received Nacl at 9% at 0.5 ml/d. We evaluated the cognitive and behavioral functions: memory, motor coordination, anxiety and locomotor capacities; and an immunohistochemical study of the hippocampus (Ca1, Ca2, Ca3 and the dentate gyrus) and the cerebellum using GFAP. Results: G1 showed a significant increase in latency time in the passive avoidance test (p < 0.001), a significant increase in hold time on the Rotarod and speed and distance traveled on the openfield (p = 0.003), and an increase in Closed Arms (BF) exploration time in the raised plus maze test (p < 0.001). Immunohistochemistry revealed that Tartrazine causes astrocyte loss associated with reduced branching and cellular hypotrophy in the hippocampus. In G2, moderate to severe astrogliosis was noted especially in the cerebellum. Conclusion this is the first study that focuses on the association of Tartrazine with lead. Several neurotoxic effects have been raised after consumption of Tartrazine alone and in combination with lead.