Evaluation of the teratogenic toxicity of disperse blue 79 on pregnant rats and their fetuses

Disperse Blue 79 (DB79), an azo dye dispersant, is widely used across various industries, thereby increasing the likelihood of human exposure to this substance. However, research on the toxicological effects of DB79 remains limited, especially concerning its potential teratogenic toxicity. This study aims to assess the toxicological effects of DB79 on pregnant rats and their fetuses following exposure during pregnancy. A total of 60 pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to 5 groups, including 3 treatment groups, a negative control group, and a positive control group. The treatment groups were orally exposed to DB79 at doses of 100, 10, and 1 mg/kg, respectively, while the negative control group received distilled water, and the positive control group received 300 mg/kg of aspirin. The rats received daily oral gavage from the 6th to the 15th day of gestation, and were euthanized on the 20th day of gestation for maternal and fetal examinations. The results indicate that no significant changes in body weight or clinical symptoms were observed in pregnant rats exposed to DB79 at doses up to 100 mg/kg. Additionally, no adverse effects were noted on fetal weight, skeletal development, or internal organs. These findings indicated that DB79 demonstrates little teratogenic toxicity under the conditions of this study. Consequently, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for DB79 can be established at 100 mg/kg body weight in SD rats.