Investigation of the toxic effects of aspartame as an artificial sweetener in food: effect on redox and inflammatory biomarkers in rat

Aspartame (L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester) is a widely used synthetic sweetener. The safety of aspartame consumption remains controversial due to its widespread and sometimes indiscriminate use above the FDA-recommended level. The study focused on investigating the toxic effects of aspartame administration at high doses on redox and inflammatory biomarkers in male Wistar rats. Rats were divided into two groups: Group I was given normal saline (0.9%) orally and Group II was administered with aspartame (100 mg/kg body weight) for 30 days. Administration of aspartame significantly (p<0.05) increased the levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PCO), and Advanced Oxidation Protein Products (AOPP) content which are prominent markers of oxidative stress. The assessment of antioxidant defenses in both the groups denoted a significant (p<0.05) decrease in levels of Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma (FRAP), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), and Catalase in the aspartame-treated group in comparison to the control. The pro-inflammatory markers Tumour Necrosis Factor -α (TNF-α), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C - reactive protein (CRP) were also significantly (p<0.05) increased in the treated group. These results suggest that aspartame intake of 100 mg/kg body weight contributes to oxidative stress in erythrocytes which in turn may play a role in predisposing an individual to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Aspartame should be strictly limited to the FDA-recommended levels since its indiscriminate use causes severe toxic effects.