Experiments tested artificial sweeteners for mutagenicity in Drosophila, suggesting low risk for genetic damage.
The artificial sweeteners cyclamate and saccharin were tested on Drosophila melanogaster for mutagenicity, using the Muller-5 technique. In addition, the reported ability of the antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) to protect against the effects of some mutagens was tested here, using one known mutagen (ethyl methane sulfonate) and the two sweeteners. The results provide no evidence that either saccharin or cyclamate is mutagenic for Drosophila at the concentrations tested, although both are quite toxic. BHT appeared to have some protective ability against ethyl methane sulfonate but the results were not significant.
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Ann Christine Veale (1975) studied this question.
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