Background: Chocolate Brown HT (CBHT), a synthetic food color, is widely used in food and beverages but has raised health concerns due to prolonged consumption and its potential to advance diseases, such as cancer. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate mammary and cardiovascular alterations associated with CBHT exposure in female Long-Evans rats.
Methods: CBHT was characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and twenty virgin female Long Evans rats were divided into five groups (n = 4 each). The negative control received the standard diet, while the positive control received 7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene. Brown HT was administered orally at doses of 200, 400, or 600 mg/kg for 50 weeks. Biochemical assays and histopathological examination of mammary and cardiac tissue were used to assess toxicological effects.
Results: Body weight initially increased, then decreased, especially in the F400 and F600 groups. Exposure to Brown HT was associated with a dose-dependent increase in triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, Creatine kinase-MB, creatinine, uric acid, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, alpha-fetoprotein, and cancer antigen 15-3. High-density lipoprotein decreased compared with the negative control (P < 0.05). Mammary tissue showed changes in acinar architecture, cellular atypia, and fibrotic tissue. Heart tissue changes included edema, inflammation, angiogenesis, and hypertrophy, with more evident changes at higher doses.
Conclusion: Exposure to low levels of Brown HT over time led to dose-mediated changes in cardiovascular parameters and mammary tissue in female Long Evans rats. These findings suggest that Brown HT may affect the breasts and the cardiovascular system; however, more research with a larger sample size is required to confirm these results.