other countries: 150–300 mg/kg depending on the type of food. Safety limit for foods and drugs: 0.1 mg/day per kg body weight. The ADI for brilliant blue FCF is 6 mg/kg. Biomedical research Brilliant blue FCF and similar dyes such as brilliant blue G are inhibitors to purinergic receptors—receptors that are responsible for inflammatory responses and other cell process. Scientists who were conducting in-vivo studies of compounds to lessen the severity of inflammation following experimental spinal cord injury had previously tested a compound called OxATP to block a key ATP receptor in spinal neurons. However, OxATP has toxic side effects and must be injected directly into the spinal cord; in searching for alternatives they noted that brilliant blue FCF has a similar structure. This led them to test a related dye, brilliant blue G (also known as Coomassie brilliant blue) in rats, which improved recovery from spinal cord injury while temporarily turning them blue. When human washed platelets are evaluated using turbidimetry it was found that brilliant blue FCF affects platelet aggregation by blocking the Panx1 channels. These inhibitory effects on collagen-induced shape change and maximal aggregation were shown by high (1 mM) concentrations of the dye but not by lower concentrations (100 μM). The 1 mM effective concentration is 1.59 times greater than the approximately 0.63 mM maximal allowable brilliant blue FCF concentration according to the European Food Safety Authority. Scientists are performing studies to better understand the effects of brilliant blue FCF during vein graft explantation. Brilliant blue FCF hinders the purinergic receptors, limiting cell proliferation that may lead to intimal hyperplasia. The effects of brilliant blue FCF were tested on rat aortic cells. It was found that brilliant blue FCF had a positive impact in limiting the development of intimal hyperplasia following a vein graft procedure. References Further reading External links The Chemistry of Colors Some more details, other common names FDA Public Health Advisory on use in enteral feeding The Feingold Diet; Dubious Benefits, Subtle Risks Food colorings Triarylmethane dyes Anilines Benzenesulfonates Organic sodium salts E-number additives Acid dyes