Degradation of the natural mutagenic compound safrole in spices by cooking and irradiation

Abstract

Safrole was determined using gas-liquid chromatography in some common spices as star anise, cumin, black pepper and ginger. Safrole concentration in these spices was 9,325, 3,432, 955 and 500 mg.kg-1, respectively. Black pepper was chosen to use in the following experiments. Using Ames-test with Salmonella TA 98 and TA 100 proved high cytotoxic effects due to pure safrole and black pepper volatile oil in both of them. The degradation of safrole was obvious after drying of the washed seeds of black pepper especially at 70 degrees C for 30 min or with sun-drying. Also, high irradiation doses (20 and 30 kGy) caused high degradation of more than 90% of the initial toxic concentration in black pepper. Whereas, microwave caused same effects at 75 s, but unfortunately, the powder was burned due to moisture absence. Boiling whole seeds or powder of black pepper during cooking for few minutes (1-5 min) were more efficient in decreasing safrole content. Finally, these results proved that the mutagenicity of some spices due to presence of safrole can be destructed during drying of the washed seeds or during cooking either with or without any additional treatment as irradiation. But irradiation of these species became more necessary for using in some food industries as milk products to get more safe for human consumption.

Spices for Prevention and Treatment of Cancers

“…In addition, safrole, a member of benzodioxoles, shows carcinogenic activities and is present naturally in essential oils of spices including black pepper, cumin, ginger, etc. Thermal treatments such as drying (70 °C, 30 min) or boiling (5 min) during cooking could decrease dose of safrole to a safer level [272]. Besides, several compounds with anti-platelet effects from garlic, black cumin, ginger, fenugreek and turmeric might lead to excess bleeding in patients with bone marrow suppression [273,274,275].…”

Pressurized liquid extraction and GC‐MS analysis for simultaneous determination of seven components in Cinnamomum cassia and the effect of sample preparation

“…Pharmacological investigations showed that essential oil of CC possessed a wide variety of effects including antioxidant [5,6], antimicrobial [2,3], anti-inflammatory [7,8], anticancer [9], antidiabetic [10][11][12][13], anxiolytic [14], vasodilatory [15] and estrogenic activities [16]. Although CC has long been regarded as a safe material, some toxic effects have also been reported [4,[17][18][19][20] and the toxic ingredient mainly point to safrole which has mutagenic, cancerogenic and genotoxic effects [21][22][23]. Therefore, chemical analysis of CC is very important for ensuring its clinical safety and efficacy.…”

Sassafras [Sassafras albidum(Nutt.) Nees]

“…6 Safrole is also present in other spices (e.g., star anise, cumin, nutmeg, mace, black pepper, ginger) as well as betel quid ( Piper betle infl orescence). 7,8 Methylsafrole (myristicin) is the major aromatic ingredient of nutmeg and mace. Isosafrole (4propenyl -1,2 -methylenedioxybenzene) is an isomer of safrole that occurs in the essential oil of ilang -ilang from the Philippines and in the fruit of Japanese star anise.…”

“…8 Safrole is a clear, colorless to slightly yellow liquid with an aromatic odor of sassafras. This compound is water insoluble.…”