Predictive risk assessment of a common food additive monosodium glutamate : An in vivo biochemical, patho-physiological and molecular study

Saikat Pramanik; Susanta Roy Karmakar

Authors

Saikat Pramanik Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College, Kolkata-700 013, West Bengal, India
Susanta Roy Karmakar Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Maulana Azad College, Kolkata-700 013, West Bengal, India

Keywords:

Food additive, mice, MSG, SDS-PAGE

Abstract

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a popular food additive commonly known as Ajinomoto, which has a flavour enhancing effect on food. We investigated if the MSG has any potential to alter kidney and liver function and biochemical and molecular changes in mice. Healthy mice weighing between 20 and 25 grams were chosen for the biochemical, patho-physiological, and molecular studies. Mice were fed with MSG at the dose 2 mg / gm of b.w. There were reduced levels of blood glucose, total serum protein, serum albumin, urea, and BUN and increased level of creatinine, The present findings suggest that MSG has toxic effects on kidney and liver.

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