Nitrosamines formation

Inhibition of nitrosation is generally accompHshed by substances that compete effectively for the active nitrosating iatermediate. /V-Nitrosamine formation in vitro can be inhibited by ascorbic acid [50-81-7] (vitamin C) and a-tocopherol [59-02-9] (vitamin E) (61,62), as well as by several other classes of compounds including pyrroles, phenols, and a2iridines (63—65). Inhibition of iatragastric nitrosation ia humans by ascorbic acid and by foods such as fmit and vegetable juices or food extracts has been reported ia several instances (26,66,67). 

Biochemical Functions. Ascorbic acid has various biochemical functions, involving, for example, coUagen synthesis, immune function, dmg metabohsm, folate metaboHsm, cholesterol cataboHsm, iron metaboHsm, and carnitine biosynthesis. Clear-cut evidence for its biochemical role is available only with respect to coUagen biosynthesis (hydroxylation of prolin and lysine). In addition, ascorbic acid can act as a reducing agent and as an effective antioxidant. Ascorbic acid also interferes with nitrosamine formation by reacting direcdy with nitrites, and consequently may potentially reduce cancer risk. 

Inhibition of Nitrosamine Formation. Nitrites can react with secondary amines and A/-substituted amides under the acidic conditions of the stomach to form /V-nitrosamines and A/-nitrosamides. These compounds are collectively called N-nitroso compounds. There is strong circumstantial evidence that in vivo A/-nitroso compounds production contributes to the etiology of cancer of the stomach (135,136), esophagus (136,137), and nasopharynx (136,138). Ascorbic acid consumption is negatively correlated with the incidence of these cancers, due to ascorbic acid inhibition of in vivo A/-nitroso compound formation (139). The concentration of A/-nitroso compounds formed in the stomach depends on the nitrate and nitrite intake. 

Some of the methods used for decreasing nitrosamine formation are [41] ... 

Prevention of nitrosamine formation at the outset and/or destmction of nitrosamines by capture reactions during vulcanization. 

In view of its potential for nitrosamine formation, a more detailed knowledge of the atmospheric reactions and products of UDMH is clearly desirable. In order to provide such data for UDMH and other hydrazines we have studied their dark reactions in air, with and without added O3 or NO, and have investigated their atmospheric photooxidation in the presence of NO ( 9 ). In this paper, we report the results we have obtained to date for UDMH. 

The sudden consumption of the remaining UDMH, and the increased relative importance of N-nitrosamine formation at -30 minutes into the photolysis can be rationalized by assuming that at that time the [NO I/ENO] ratio, and thus the photostationary state [O3], has become sufficiently high that O3 may be reacting with the hydrazine directly, and that reaction (3) begins to dominate over reaction (10). This results in higher rates of UDMH consumption by the OH radicals formed in the UDMH + O3 reaction (1), and by the OH radicals generated by the reaction of NO... 

The results of the study reported here show clearly that, upon release into the atmosphere, N,N-dlmethylhydrazlne (UDMH) can be rapidly converted to N-nitrosodimethylamine by its reaction with atmospheric ozone. A similar conclusion can be reached concerning nitrosamine formation from other unsymmetrically disubstituted hydrazines ... 

Under these conditions, although nitrosamine formation appears to occur to some extent, formation of an unknown product (or set of products) is also observed. On the basis of mechanistic considerations we believe this product to be primarily a nitroso-hydrazine. Upon photolysis, this compound may give rise to an N-nitrohydrazine, or, when O3 is present, to the nitrosamine. 

The literature concerning mechanisms of nitrosamine formation in general has been the subject of several excellent reviews, e.g. that of Douglass al. (9). However, the basic principles of nitrosamine formation wTll Fe briefly stated here by way of introduction. 

A research program in progress at Raltech Scientific Services is designed to find inhibitors which will prevent nitrosamine formation in cosmetic products, A review of the literature (4) indicated that the oil phase of emulsions may play an important role in nitrosation chemistry. Thus, results from studies in water alone could be misleading when reduced to practice. 

Evidence exists that the relative solubility of amines and inhibitors in heterogeneous oil-water systems could be decisive in formation of nitrosamines and blocking these reactions, Nitrosopyrrolidine formation in bacon predominates in the adipose tissue despite the fact that its precursor, proline, predominates in the lean tissue (5,6,7). Mottram and Patterson (8) partly attribute this phenomenon to the fact that the adipose tissue furnishes a medium in which nitrosation is favored, Massey, et al, (9) found that the presence of decane in a model heterogeneous system caused a 20-fold increase in rate of nitrosamine formation from lipophilic dihexylamine, but had no effect on nitrosation of hydrophilic pyrrolidine. Ascorbic acid in the presence of decane enhanced the synthesis of nitrosamines from lipophilic amines, but had no effect on nitrosation of pyrrolidine. The oil-soluble inhibitor ascorbyl palmitate had little influence on the formation of nitrosamines in the presence or absence of decane. 

In order to define the conditions of the growing cultures, buffered medium (VL) inoculated with E, coli ATCC 11775 and supplemented with nitrate, glucose and DMA was incubated at 37 C, and pH, nitrite concentration, nitrate concentration, cell growth and nitrosamine formation were followed (Fig. 1). Within 2 hrs, >90% of the nitrate is converted to nitrite (some of the nitrite is further reduced) and over 8 hrs the pH drops from 7.3 to 6.0. This would indicate that in experiments carried out for 20 hrs or more the control medium should be adjusted to pH 6.0 to 6.5 and nitrite should be added rather than nitrate. Such a control medium (VL) was supplemented with nitrite and DMA and NDMA formation was followed (Fig. 2). It can be seen that even without the addition of cells the rate of nitrosation is 4 fold greater than... 

Nitrite concentration The kinetics of N-nitrosamine formation in vitro has been studied at length (, ) and, in moderately acidic media, the reaction rate is directly proportional to the concentration of the free amine (non-protonated) and to the square of the concentration of the undissociated nitrous acid. Therefore, it is not surprising that the amount of nitrite permitted in bacon has received considerable attention. Although, there have been suggestions that it is the initial and not the residual nitrite that influences N-nitrosamine formation in bacon (41), recent evidence seems to indicate that the lowest residual nitrite gives the least probability of N-nitrosamines... 

Recently, Robach et al. ( ) investigated the effects of various concentrations of sodium nitrite and potassium sorbate on N-nitrosamine formation in commercially prepared bacon. 

N-Nitrosamine inhibitors Ascorbic acid and its derivatives, andDC-tocopherol have been widely studied as inhibitors of the N-nitrosation reactions in bacon (33,48-51). The effect of sodium ascorbate on NPYR formation is variable, complete inhibition is not achieved, and although results indicate lower levels of NPYR in ascorbate-containing bacon, there are examples of increases (52). Recently, it has been concluded (29) that the essential but probably not the only requirement for a potential anti-N-nitrosamine agent in bacon are its (a) ability to trap NO radicals, (b) lipophilicity, (c) non-steam volatility and (d) heat stability up to 174 C (maximum frying temperature). These appear important requirements since the precursors of NPYR have been associated with bacon adipose tissue (15). Consequently, ascorbyl paImitate has been found to be more effective than sodium ascorbate in reducing N-nitrosamine formation (33), while long chain acetals of ascorbic acid, when used at the 500 and lOOO mg/kg levels have been reported to be capable of reducing the formation of N-nitrosamines in the cooked-out fat by 92 and 97%, respectively (49). 

Commercially available nonfat dried milk and dried buttermilk have also been shown to contain small but detectable levels of NDMA (, , ). It has been suggested that N-nitrosamine formation is possible in foods that are dried in a direct-fired dryer (65). In such a dryer, the products of combustion come into direct contact with the food being dried, and N-nitrosamine formation is probably due to the reaction between secondary and/or tertiary amines in the food and the oxides of nitrogen that are produced during fuel combusion (65). 

It has been shown in these studies that the principal, and probably only significant source of NDMA, is malt which had been dried by direct-fired drying (21, 73). It is well known that malts kilned by indirect firing have either low or non-detectable levels of NDMA (74). Consequently, changes in malting procedures have been implemented in both the U.S. and Canada which have resulted in marked reductions in N-nitrosamine levels in both malts and beer (70,74). For example, sulfur dioxide or products of sulfur combustion are now used routinely by all maltsters in the U.S. to minimize N-nitrosamine formation (70). The Canadian malting industry, on the other hand, has... 

To check that the NO exposure was necessary for nitrosamine formation, morpholine was gavaged to mice as usual, but the NO exposure was omitted. Five g mouse homogenate was worked up by the Iqbal method (after addition of 11 mg cis-DMM) and yielded neither NMOR nor cis-DMNM. Similarly, when 10 mg morpholine was added to 5 g homogenate prepared from an untreated mouse and... 

In classical organic chemistry, nltrosamlnes were considered only as the reaction products of secondary amines with an acidified solution of a nitrite salt or ester. Today, it is recognized that nitrosamines can be produced from primary, secondary, and tertiary amines, and nltrosamides from secondary amides. Douglass et al. (34) have published a good review of nitrosamine formation. For the purposes of this presentation, it will suffice to say that amine and amide precursors for nitrosation reactions to form N-nitroso compounds are indeed ubiquitous in our food supply, environment, and par-... 

Indeed, given an improperly designed or understood system, a blocking agent, like ascorbic acid, could be catalytic toward nitrosamine formation. For example, if the source of nitrosatlng agent is nitrite ion and the susceptible amine is in the lipid phase, conceivably ascorbic acid could cause the rapid reduction of nitrite ion to nitric oxide which could migrate to the lipid phase. Subsequent oxidation of NO to NO in the lipid phase could cause nitrosation. 

Aside from ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol, which have been shown to be effective blocking agents, there are other factors which appear important in blocking nitrosamine formation... 

Ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol are effective blocking agents against N-nitroso compound formation. Ascorbic acid is effective particularly in aqueous media, and tocopherol effective particularly in lipid phases. They should be used in conjunction due to the mutually complementary actions of the two vitamins in blocking nitrosamine formation in both aqueous and lipid media. 

In addition to vitamin C and vitamin E as effective blocking agents, there are other substances which also are capable of preventing nitrosamine formation which are present in normal foods. The influence of this factor on the design of experimental studies should not be overlooked. 

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