Is Rhodamine B safety?

A textile dye, Rhodamine B, is toxic to the human body.

As one of the most commonly used dyes, Rhodamine B (RhB) is widely used for industrial purposes, such as printing and dyeing textiles, paper, paints, leathers, etc. However, organic dyes can cause serious environmental and biological problems, even if they are capable of inducing irritation to the skin and eyes. Rhodamine B is a component of xenobiotic substance metabolized by cytochrome P450 in the body to produce free radicals, which affects the activity of Superoxidase Dismutase (SOD), thereby leading to oxidative stress, injury, and increase in cell apoptosis and brainstem. It often enters the body when mixed with food, thereby causing oxidative stress on cells and tissues. The use of Rhodamine B in food for a long time leads to liver dysfunction or cancer, and when exposed to large amounts over a short period, it results in acute poisoning[1].

References

[1] Dewi Ratna Sulistina, Santi Martini. “The effect of Rhodamine B on the cerebellum and brainstem tissue of Rattus norvegicus.” Journal of Public Health Research 9 2 (2020): 1812.