Synthetic food colors are important ingredients in the food industry. These synthetic food colorants are azo dyes, majorly acidic in nature such as Allura red and Tartrazine. They are present in sweets, carbonated drinks, meat products, and candies to attract the consumers. This review article is an attempt to explain the adverse effects of azo dyes and their association with oral cavities and cardiovascular disorders. These synthetic dyes (azo dyes) have staining effects on dentin. Poor dental care accelerates the bacterial accumulation on the dental crown (Gram-negative bacteria P. gingivalis, T. denticola, and T. forsythia and Gram-positive bacteria Strep. Gordonii), causing the washing of enamel, forming dental plaque. Bacterial pathogens (P. ginigivalis and F. nacleatum) release different chemicals (FadA and Fap2) that bind to protein on the cell by producing an inflammatory response through different line-host defenses, such as Gingival epithelial cells (ECs), Hemi-desmosomes, and desmosomes, which helps the bacterium migration from the cell–cell junction. This makes the junctions slightly open up and makes the whole vessel permeable, through which the bacterium enters into the blood stream line. This leads to different major arteries, such as the carotid artery, and causes the accumulation of plaque in major cardiac arteries, which causes different cardiovascular disorders. These bacterial species present in gums cause cardiovascular diseases, such as ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, heart attacks and strokes, and arrhythmias, which can lead to death.

Food colors are considered the most important component of foodstuff for enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the products. The rapid increase in population raised the demand for food materials, while wastewater from as-related processing industries is used for irrigation. This study was conducted to examine the genotoxicity of industrial wastewater on the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). Three predominantly used synthetic food colors, including Azorubine E-122, Tartrazine E-102 and Allura Red AC E-129, were used during this project. Rhizobacteria were isolated from agricultural soils and treated with various concentrations of Azorubine E-122, Tartrazine E-102 and Allura red E-129 for a 24 and 48 h duration. DNA extraction and quantification were performed through a modified CTAB method, spectrophotometry and agarose gel electrophoresis. A comet assay was used to check DNA damage. According to the results, all the food colors had caused significant damage to DNA depending upon the concentration and exposure time. The extent of DNA damage caused by Azorubine E-122 was relatively greater compared with the other colors, so the fragmentation rate of 86% and 92% was obtained at 1.25% concentration for 24 and 48 h, respectively. The current results have revealed the devastation capacity of food colors by accelerating distortion risk to soil micro-flora, hence the fertility of the soil.

Wastewater from food processing industries contains synthetic dyes and preservatives that may pose phytotoxic and genotoxic risks. The present work represents an exploratory study based on a wastewater source and sampling period. Wastewater was characterized by physicochemical analysis and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Onion seeds and bulbs were exposed to 0% (control), 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% wastewater dilution. DNA was extracted from root cells using the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method. The DNA damage was analyzed by the comet assay. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of sorbic acid, citric acid, benzoic acid, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) by showing corresponding peaks. The mean root length in wastewater was significantly reduced by 55%, 50%, and 65% on days 3, 5, and 7, respectively, relative to the control. On day 3, the highest genotoxicity at 100% wastewater was indicated by 96.69% tail DNA, a tail moment of 108.3 a.u., an Olive tail moment of 58.01 a.u., and a comet length of 136 µm. Enhanced DNA damage persisted on days 5 and 7, with comet lengths reaching 127–149 µm and 111–182 µm, respectively. Although the observed effects may reflect general cytotoxicity arising from a complex wastewater mixture and showed that untreated food processing wastewater presents a significant genotoxic risk and requires effective treatment prior to reuse.

Apple (Malus pumila L) of the family Rosaceae, most cultivated fruit in temperate regions of the world and is used fresh or processed. The apple production is affected by several pathogens including fungi. The present study was designed to identify disease-causing agents that reduce fruit production in the district Qilla Abdullah of Balochistan, Pakistan, which is the main apple production area of the province. Three varieties of apple: ‘Tur-Kulu’ (‘Red Delicious’), ‘Shin-Kulu’ (‘Golden Delicious’), and ‘Kaja’ were selected. Infected leaf samples were collected from eight different sites of tehsil Gulistan, district Qilla Abdullah. The cultures of fungal micro-flora were grown on two media, potato dextrose agar (PDA), and malt extract agar (MEA) followed by incubation for one week. The resulting colonies were observed under a microscope and identified based on morphological characters. Predominant fungal species was identified through ITS marker and PCR amplification. The isolated pathogens belonged to Zygomycota and Ascomycota divisions. The pathogens found were Aspergillus niger, A. oryzae, A. terrus, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum, Mucor spp., Penicillium expansum, and one species of Absidia as well as Rhizopus. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides were predominantly found in all varieties. Morphological and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the identity of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. As a result of this study, the predominant pathogen species Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is one of the causes of leaf infection in apple varieties.