A peer-reviewed study shows that this substance has neurotoxic effects in human neuronal cells.
Swati S. More, Ashish P. Vartak & Robert Vince. 2012. The butter flavorant, diacetyl, exacerbates β-amyloid cytotoxicity. Chemical research in toxicology 25(10), 2083-91.
A peer-reviewed study reports that this substance is mutagenic in animal cells.
Paul Whittaker, Jane J. Clarke, Richard H. C. San, Timothy H. Begley & Virginia C. Dunkel. 2008. Evaluation of the butter flavoring chemical diacetyl and a fluorochemical paper additive for mutagenicity and toxicity using the mammalian cell gene mutation assay in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association 46(8), 2928-33.
A peer-reviewed study reports that this substance is mutagenic.
Swati S. More, Abbas Raza & Robert Vince. 2012. The butter flavorant, diacetyl, forms a covalent adduct with 2-deoxyguanosine, uncoils DNA, and leads to cell death. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 60(12), 3311-7.