GENOTOXICITY OF DIFFERENT SWEETENERS IN DROSOPHILA

DEMIR E., Turna F., Aksakal S., KAYA B., MARCOS R.

FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN, vol.23, no.12C, pp.3427-3433, 2014 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 23 Issue: 12C
  • Publication Date: 2014
  • Journal Name: FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.3427-3433
  • Keywords: Sweeteners, Drosophila melanogaster, genotoxicity, SMART assay, comet assay, SOMATIC MUTATION, ACESULFAME-K, ASPARTAME, MELANOGASTER, NANOPARTICLES, CANCER
  • Akdeniz University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The genotoxicity of different sweeteners (acesulfame K, aspartame, saccharin and sucralose), has been evaluated in the wing spot and the comet assays, using Drosophila. Results indicate that acesulfame K, saccharin and sucralose were not genotoxic in either of the two assays used. Low but significant increases were obtained in transheterozygous flies treated with aspartame; but, when aspartame results were evaluated in balancer-heterozygous flies, to determine the origin of the mutant clones, negative results were obtained indicating that the observed effects induced by aspartame are mainly due to somatic recombination. Results from aspartame in the comet assay show a genotoxic effect of this sweetener. Thus, in spite of the lack of dose-response, and the low value obtained in the negative concurrent control in the wing spot test with aspartame, the results obtained in the comet assay support a potential genotoxic role of aspartame, at least in Drosophila.