Sunset Yellow dye and trypsin protein clumping in lab tests
What it found
In lab tests, Sunset Yellow made the protein trypsin clump together at pH 2.0 but not at pH 6.0.
The authors say this points to possible health risks from eating the dye.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Stronger binding at low pH
Fluorescence measurements showed Sunset Yellow bound more strongly to trypsin at pH 2.0 than at pH 6.0.
Clumping only at pH 2.0
At pH 2.0, trypsin clumped together when Sunset Yellow was present at 0.05 to 3.0 mM. At pH 6.0, no clumping was seen.
Fast clumping, no lag
The clumping started quickly and had no lag phase, meaning it began without delay.
Structure changes with dye
At pH 6.0, trypsin kept a secondary structure when Sunset Yellow was added. At pH 2.0, that structure was almost lost as dye levels rose.
Clumping depends on protein and pH
How much trypsin clumped depended on the trypsin concentration and the pH.
What the authors conclude
“Our study highlights potential health risks associated with the consumption of SY, providing insights into its impact on human health and emphasizing the necessity for further research in this field.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say their study highlights potential health risks from eating Sunset Yellow.
- They say it gives insights into the dye's impact on human health.
- They call for more research in this field.
How it was done
Protein clumping is a concern in food science, and synthetic food dyes like Sunset Yellow may cause it. The authors wanted to see how Sunset Yellow interacts with a protein.
They used trypsin as a model protein and tested it with Sunset Yellow at pH 2.0 and pH 6.0, using several lab techniques. They looked at binding, clumping, speed of clumping, and protein structure at dye levels from 0.05 to 3.0 mM.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are lab tests with a single protein, not studies in people.
- They cannot show what happens in the human body after eating Sunset Yellow.
- They cannot show whether Sunset Yellow causes health problems in people.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declaration of competing interest Author states that there is no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
The paper
- Title
- Probing the interaction mechanisms between sunset yellow dye and trypsin protein leading to amorphous aggregation under low pH conditions
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Al-Shabib NA, Khan JM, Malik A, et al (2024). Probing the interaction mechanisms between sunset yellow dye and trypsin protein leading to amorphous aggregation under low pH conditions. International journal of biological macromolecules. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130442PubMed 38417745DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error