Toxicological impact of acute exposure to E171 food additive and TiO nanoparticles on a co-culture of Caco-2 and HT29-MTX intestinal cells.

TiO particles are widely used in products for everyday consumption, such as cosmetics and food; their possible adverse effects on human health must therefore be investigated. The aim of this study was to document in vitro impact of the food additive E171, i.e.

Continuous in vitro exposure of intestinal epithelial cells to E171 food additive causes oxidative stress, inducing oxidation of DNA bases but no endoplasmic reticulum stress.

The whitening and opacifying properties of titanium dioxide (TiO) are commonly exploited when it is used as a food additive (E171). However, the safety of this additive can be questioned as TiO nanoparticles (TiO-NPs) have been classed at potentially toxic. This study aimed to shed some light on the mechanisms behind the potential toxicity of E171 on epithelial intestinal cells, using two in vitro models: (i) a monoculture of differentiated Caco-2 cells and (ii) a coculture of Caco-2 with HT29-MTX mucus-secreting cells.