Titanium dioxide, food matrices and DNA damage in lab tests
What it found
In lab tests on human intestinal cells, titanium dioxide caused DNA damage linked to oxidative stress, but this damage dropped to untreated levels when the particles were mixed with albumin or fetal bovine serum.
The same particles mixed with glucose still caused damage.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Cell toxicity
Titanium dioxide did not affect cell growth or cause membrane damage in Caco-2 cells at the highest concentration tested. This was true with or without the matrices.
Oxidative stress
Titanium dioxide increased reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzyme activity in Caco-2 cells, especially when mixed with MEM or glucose. When mixed with fetal bovine serum or albumin, these effects dropped to untreated control levels.
Intestinal transport
Transport of titanium dioxide through Caco-2 cell layers and M-cell models was less than 1% in all cases. Transport was higher in MEM or glucose than in fetal bovine serum or albumin.
Intestinal absorption
In rat intestinal sacs, absorption of titanium dioxide was below 1.5% and dropped to basal levels when mixed with fetal bovine serum or albumin. Particle size and dose made no difference.
DNA damage
Titanium dioxide caused DNA damage in Caco-2 cells, but the damage was much lower than with the positive control hydrogen peroxide. When mixed with fetal bovine serum or albumin, DNA damage dropped to untreated control levels. Glucose did not reduce the damage.
Other findings
Particle size changes
When titanium dioxide was mixed with albumin or fetal bovine serum, the particles formed larger clumps. Glucose did not change the particle size.
What the authors conclude
“These findings suggest that the interactions between TiO 2 and food or biological components can affect biological responses and genotoxicity, potentially contributing to its safety as a food additive.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the interaction of titanium dioxide with albumin or fetal bovine serum increases particle size and reduces cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, intestinal transport and DNA damage.
- They note that the genotoxicity of titanium dioxide is closely linked to oxidative stress.
- They call for further studies to fully assess the potential genotoxicity of titanium dioxide in food products.
How it was done
The authors note conflicting results on whether titanium dioxide can damage DNA, and they wanted to see whether food or biological matrices change its effects.
They tested two food additive titanium dioxide particles of different sizes in human intestinal Caco-2 cells and in rat intestinal sacs. They mixed the particles with albumin, fetal bovine serum or glucose and measured particle size, cell toxicity, oxidative stress, intestinal transport and DNA damage.
What it can’t tell you
- These are lab and animal studies. They cannot show what happens in people who eat titanium dioxide in food.
- The study used only two sizes of titanium dioxide particles and a limited set of food matrices, so other foods or particle types may behave differently.
- The DNA damage was measured in cells and rat intestinal sacs, not in whole living animals or humans.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by National Research Foundation of Korea; Seoul Women's University (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- Seoul Women's University, Republic of Korea
The paper
- Title
- Effects of the Interactions Between Food Additive Titanium Dioxide and Matrices on Genotoxicity
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Jeong SM, Nam HN, Choi SJ (2025). Effects of the Interactions Between Food Additive Titanium Dioxide and Matrices on Genotoxicity. International journal of molecular sciences. doi:10.3390/ijms26020617Free full textPubMed 39859330DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error