Potassium sorbate and DNA damage in human cells in the lab
What it found
Potassium sorbate caused signs of DNA damage in human blood cells tested in the lab.
It did not affect all measures of cell division.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Chromosome damage in cells
At 500 and 1000 microg/ml, potassium sorbate raised the number of chromosome breaks in human cells grown in the lab. This happened compared with untreated cells.
DNA swaps increased
A type of DNA swap between sister strands went up at 250, 500, and 1000 microg/ml after 24 hours. After 48 hours it rose at all four doses, including 125 microg/ml.
DNA strand breaks
After just 1 hour of treatment, isolated human cells showed clear DNA strand breaks at every dose tested.
No change in micronuclei
One test that looks for tiny extra pieces of DNA in cells showed no meaningful change after potassium sorbate treatment.
Cell division mostly normal
Potassium sorbate did not slow down cell division. Only a small drop in dividing cells was seen at the highest dose of 1000 microg/ml.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that potassium sorbate clearly damages DNA in human blood cells tested in the lab.
How it was done
The researchers wanted to find out whether potassium sorbate can damage DNA in human cells.
They tested human white blood cells in the lab using four doses of potassium sorbate: 125, 250, 500, and 1000 microg/ml. They looked for different types of DNA damage and changes in how the cells divided. Some cells were treated for 1 hour, others for 24 or 48 hours.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These tests used human cells in a dish, not whole people. Lab results cannot show what happens when someone eats food containing potassium sorbate. The doses used may be much higher than what reaches your cells from food.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Gazi University, Turkey
The paper
- Title
- Does potassium sorbate induce genotoxic or mutagenic effects in lymphocytes?
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Mamur S, Yüzbaşioğlu D, Unal F, Yilmaz S (2010). Does potassium sorbate induce genotoxic or mutagenic effects in lymphocytes?. Toxicology in vitro. doi:10.1016/j.tiv.2009.12.021PubMed 20036729DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error