When food derived from muscle is heated, potent mutagens are produced. For nearly two decades, LLNL researchers have studied the formation of toxic mutagenic compounds in red meats and other foods containing protein. This report, the first of two installments, focuses on the identification of food mutagens and measurement of their abundance in cooked foods as a function of cooking temperature and time.
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Key Words: Ames/Salmonella assay; amino-imidazoazaarenes (AIAs); carcinogen; DNA adducts; heterocyclic amines; high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); mutagens: airborne,
in cooked foods, in fried beef; mutagenicity; 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo
[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP); 2-amino-3-methyl-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ); 2-amino-3,
8-dimethyl-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx).
References
1. |
B. N. Ames, J. McCann, and E. Yamasaki, "Method for Detecting Carcinogens and Mutagens with the Salmonella/Mammalian-Microsomal Mutagenicity Test," Mutation Research 31, 347-364 (1975). |
2. |
T. Sugimura et al., "Mutagen-Carcinogens in Foods with Special Reference to Highly Mutagenic Pyrolytic Products in Broiled Foods," in Origins of Human Cancer, H. H. Hiatt, J. D. Watson, and J. A. Winsten, Eds., (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, 1977), pp. 1561-1577. |
3. |
B. Commoner et al., "Formation of Mutagens in Beef and Beef Extract During Cooking," Science 210, 913-916 (1978). |
4. |
G. A. Gross, "Simple Methods for Quantifying Mutagenic Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines in Food Products," Carcinogenesis 11, 1597 (1990). |
5. |
For a general review of research on food mutagens, see J. S. Felton and M. G. Knize, "Heterocyclic-Amine Mutagens/Carcinogens in Foods," Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, Vol. 94/I, C. S. Cooper and P. L. Grover, Eds. (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany, 1990), pp. 471-502. |
6. |
J. S. Felton et al., "Effect of Microwave Pretreatment on Heterocyclic Aromatic Amine Mutagens/Carcinogens in Fried Beef Patties," Food Chemical Toxicology 32 (10), 897-903 (1994). (UCRL-JC-116450) |
For further information contact James S. Felton (510) 422-5656 (felton1@llnl.gov) or
Mark G. Knize (510) 422-8260 (knize1@llnl.gov).
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