Determination of the effect of sunset yellow on the morphological parameters of male mice during the development period

Sunset Yellow (SY), an azo synthetic food dye, is widely used in the food industry. Although there are different opinions on its effect on people, its use is regulated in the European Union. If the Acceptable Daily Intake of 2.5 mg/kg/bw is exceeded, it may have pathological and biochemical effects on organs. There are not enough studies on the effects of SY on growth and development in mammals. This study was conducted to determine the effect of SY on the morphological parameters of mice at different ages (four, eight, and ten weeks old). The treatment and control groups were created with Swiss Albino mice (n: 6). SY was administered orally for 28 days (30 mg/kg/bw/week). On the last day of the study, the mice were weighed, and tail, temporal region, femur, and crown-rubmp-length values were measured using a digital caliper. A statistical difference in average body weight was observed in the SY groups (p < 0.05). SY administration during childhood caused retardation in growth and development parameters. Therefore, SY may cause weight gain and affect morphological parameters. Additional studies are required to investigate the effects of SY at different doses and durations.