Identification of Seafood as an Important Dietary Source of Heterocyclic Amines by Chemometry and Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

Heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are formed during the cooking of protein-rich foods, are potent mutagens and a risk factor for human cancers. Levels of HCAs have been extensively investigated in meat products but not in fish products. Here, we report levels of HCAs in fried salmon, tuna, hake, sardine, angler fish, cod, sole, swordfish, squid, and cuttlefish. The HCA levels of some of these foods have not been previously analyzed. We employed multivariate factor-analysis tools, including principal components analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares (PLS) regression, to study the effects of cooking weight loss and levels of creatine, glucose, and free amino acids on HCA levels. The highest concentrations of mutagenic HCAs, 159.3 ng·g(-1) total, where 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) accounted for 121 ng·g(-1), were found in fried swordfish (cooking loss of 51.8%). These levels are higher than those generally found in fried chicken, which is typically cited as the most contaminated food item. Thus, swordfish is among the richest known sources of HCAs. The other cooked seafood items contained from 0.4 to 35.4 ng·g(-1) HCAs, comparable to concentrations typically reported for meat. Chemometric analysis showed that the fish species is the most influential parameter on the formation of HCAs such as DMIP, PhIP, and norharman. Concentrations of histidine, lysine, creatine, and glucose, as well as weight loss, also influence the yield of HCAs. These results suggest that seafood is an important dietary source of HCAs. The formation of HCAs in fish is influenced by multiple factors, some of which remain unknown.

Presence of heterocyclic amine carcinogens in home-cooked and fast-food camel meat burgers commonly consumed in Saudi Arabia

“…PhIP is usually found at higher concentrations in such types of meat, and the concentrations found in the current study were in good agreement with those reported by previous studies 34, 42 . Nonetheless, in other high-protein foods, such as cooked chicken and fish (swordfish), PhIP was found in very high concentrations (>100 ng/g), especially in swordfish 43, 44 . The HCA levels in such foods are higher than those detected in the present study and these food products are typically defined as being extremely HCA contaminated 43, 44 .…”

“…Nonetheless, in other high-protein foods, such as cooked chicken and fish (swordfish), PhIP was found in very high concentrations (>100 ng/g), especially in swordfish 43, 44 . The HCA levels in such foods are higher than those detected in the present study and these food products are typically defined as being extremely HCA contaminated 43, 44 . In addition, PhIP could also be the main HCA in the human diet.…”

The effect of using different types and rates of onion‐water extract in meatball production on the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines

“…Thus, it is proven with epidemiologic studies that various chemical compounds form as a result of cooking foods rich in protein, such as cooking meat and fish at high temperatures. All of these compounds are mutagenic and majority of them are also considered as carcinogenic . Among these chemical compounds, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCAs) have an important place.…”

Influence of food condiments on the formation of carcinogenic heterocyclic amines in cooked chicken and determination by LC-MS/MS

“…A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t HCAs are a toxicological substances and present at parts per billion levels in heattreated proteinaceous foods such as meat (Sugimura et al 2004), poultry (Skog and Solyakov 2002), fish (Khan et al 2013), and offal products (Khan el al. 2009a) which play an important role in the etiology of human cancer (Sugimura et al 2004;Skog and Solyakov 2002;Khan et al 2013;Khan el al.…”

“…2009a) which play an important role in the etiology of human cancer (Sugimura et al 2004;Skog and Solyakov 2002;Khan et al 2013;Khan el al. 2009a;Sugimura 2000;Alaejos et al 2008;Helmus et al 2013).…”