Alarming impact of the excessive use of tert-butylhydroquinone in food products: A narrative review

Tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) is a food additive commonly used as a more effective protectant in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. However, the long-term exposure to TBHQ at higher doses (0.7 mg/kg) results in substantial danger to public health and brings a series of side effects, including cytotoxic, genotoxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic effects. As a result, the global burden of chronic diseases has fascinated consumers and governments regarding the safety assessment of food additives. Regarding contradictory reports of various research about the application of food additives, the accurate monitoring of food additives is urgent. Notwithstanding, there are reports of the therapeutic effects of TBHQ under pathologic conditions through activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2. Thus, further investigations are required to investigate the impact of TBHQ on public health and evaluate its mechanism of action on various organs and cells. Therefore, this review aimed to investigate TBHQ safety through an overview of its impacts on different tissues, cells, and biological macromolecules as well as its therapeutic effects under pathologic conditions. [Display omitted] •Tert-butylhydroquinone a synthetic antioxidant, has wide applications in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.•Tert-butylhydroquinone has good antimicrobial, antifungal and antioxidant activities.•Tert-butylhydroquinone has been showed cytotoxic and genotoxic effects.•Tert-butylhydroquinone lead to the transition of DNA conformation and DNA damage.•Reports have been shown that Tert-butylhydroquinone attenuates nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity.