Flavoring additives are of great technological importance for the food industry. However, there is little information regarding the toxicological properties of these micro-ingredients, especially at the cellular level. The present study used meristematic root cells of Allium cepa L. to evaluate the toxicity of a liquid, aroma and flavor synthetic chocolate additive, manufactured and widely marketed throughout Brazil and exported to other countries in South America. The flavoring concentrations evaluated were 100.00; 50.00; 25.00; 1.00; 0.50 and 0.25 µL/L, where the highest concentration established was one-hundred times lower than that commercially suggested for use. The concentration 100 µL/L substantially reduced cell division of meristems within 24- and 48-hours exposure. Concentrations from 100.00 to 0.50 µL/L resulted in a significant number of prophases to the detriment of the other phases of cell division, indicating an aneugenic activity, and induced a significant number of cellular changes, with emphasis on micronuclei, nuclear buds and chromosomal breaks. Under the established analysis conditions, with the exception of concentration 0.25 µL/L, the flavoring of chocolate caused cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and mutagenicity to root meristems.

Ethylparaben (EtP) is an emerging pollutant that is widely found in the environment, particularly in agricultural landscapes. With the extensive contamination of agricultural soils and irrigation waters, there is a rising concern about their potential impact on crop yields. To provide some of the first evidence that EtP may be more than just an agricultural contaminant, but a potential pollutant, we evaluated the systemic toxicities and cellular responses triggered by EtP in seed roots of Daucus carota, Lycopersicum esculentum, and Cucumis sativus, and in bulb roots of Allium cepa, at environmentally relevant concentrations of 1, 10, 100, and 1000 ng·L⁻¹. The seeds and bulbs remained in contact with the concentrations for 7 days. Distilled water and Tween 80 at 1000 ng·L⁻¹ were used as negative controls. The results were subjected to Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance followed by Dunn’s test (p ≤ 0.05). In all plants, all concentrations significantly altered the activity of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. In carrot (10, 100, and 1000 ng·L⁻¹), tomato (1000 ng·L⁻¹), and cucumber (all concentrations), such concentrations caused lipid peroxidation, leading to the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, as well as hydroxyl and superoxide radicals in the cells. These oxidants caused a delay in the progression of the cell cycle and alterations to the mitotic spindle in the root meristems, significantly inhibiting root growth in the plants evaluated. Recurrent contamination with EtP can potentially harm soil quality, posing a risk to both agricultural productivity and the environment.

The emerging pollutant octocrylene is not efficiently removed from effluents by conventional treatment and is recurrently found in rivers. This study evaluated the adsorption of octocrylene using commercial carbon and biochar from spent coffee grounds activated with ZnCl₂. The two adsorbents had an efficiency of approximately 100% in pollutant removal throughout the experimental design. The kinetics and equilibrium isotherms showed a good correlation with the experimental data. The kinetics showed adsorption of the contaminant in 40 min for both adsorbents. The model equilibrium isotherms with the best fit and adsorption capacity was Langmuir for biochar, with a capacity of 37.822 ± 0.005 µg∙mg⁻¹ compared to 33.602 ± 0.202 µg∙mg⁻¹ for commercial carbon. Furthermore, a toxicity analysis of a 600 µg∙L⁻¹ octocrylene solution was carried out before and after adsorption with the two charcoals separately, using Allium cepa roots. Before adsorption, the solution was phytotoxic and cytogenotoxic. After adsorption, the solution obtained for each charcoal no longer caused toxicity to the roots. The charcoals tested had high removal efficiency and adsorption capacity, a condition reiterated by the toxicity results. However, biochar better represented the Langmuir model in the adsorption process when removing octocrylene from the aqueous medium.