Mutagenic activity of heterocyclic amines in cooked foods

• Main Authors: Felton, J S, Knize, M G, Dolbeare, F A, Wu, R
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0091-6765

Mutagenic heterocyclic amines are generated in foods when they are cooked at temperatures over 150 degree C. These compounds are present from 0.1 to 50 ppb, depending on the food and cooking conditions. These heterocyclic amines are not only present in cooked red meat, fish, and chicken, but are also present at lower levels in baked and fried foods derived from grain. Mutagenicity of fried beef hamburgers cooked at 230 degree C is 800 TA98 revertants per gram cooked weight. We measured 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MelQx), 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (DiMelQx), and 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) formation at this temperature and found 3.0, 1.0, and 0.06 plus or minus 0.03 ng/g, respectively. 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) was found at a higher concentration of 9.6 ng/g. In our laboratory we have shown these heterocyclic amines are capable of producing both reverse and forward mutations in Salmonella bacteria and forward mutations in Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO). We have also been able to show a statistically significant increase in mutations in the pancreas of the "mutamouse" following PhIP exposure.