Study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons generated from fatty acids by a model system

Abstract

BACKGROUND The characteristics of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) produced from various fatty acids, as important components of fats and oils, at high temperature are still little known. The reason is because the existing data are from experiments conducted in complex food systems. In this study, 12 PAHs produced from nine fatty acids, representing saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), were investigated in a model system heated at 98, 165 and 240 °C. RESULTS SFAs can with difficulty be pyrolyzed to generate PAHs at 98 °C, but small amounts of PAHs were determined in MUFAs (44.97 µg kg−1) and PUFAs (177.73 µg kg−1). When the temperature reached 165 °C, there were totals of 27.59, 142.8 and 449.68 µg kg−1 PAHs assayed in SFAs, MUFAs and PUFAs, respectively. The amounts of PAHs generated from SFAs, MUFAs and PUFAs at 240 °C were higher when compared with those of the 165 °C group (P < 0.05). With an increase of heating temperature, the proportion of PAHs with four to five rings increased. Under the same heating conditions, the concentration of PAHs in fatty acids increased with an increase in the number of double bonds. CONCLUSIONS More PAHs, especially carcinogenic ones with four to five rings, will be produced in fatty acids heated at higher temperature. The content of PAHs generated from fatty acids increased with an increase in the number of double bonds. This study will increase the understanding of the production characteristics of PAHs from various fatty acids under heating condition. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

Analytical chemistry, formation, mitigation, and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: From food processing to in vivo metabolic transformation

“…Recently, Nie et al. (2019) investigated the effect of fatty acids as precursors to PAH formation in a model system and observed the same results. More PAHs were produced in fatty acids at higher temperatures.…”

Inhibition of benzo[a]pyrene formation in charcoal‐grilled pork sausages by ginger and its key compounds

“…Fatty acids have always been considered an essential factor affecting the formation of BaP 5 . To further explore the factors influencing the generation of BaP, we selected four phenolic compounds with relatively strong inhibitory effects to explore their effect on fat oxidation degree in pork sausages (Table 3).…”

“…Effects of four phenols on fat oxidation degree in grilled pork sausages Fatty acids have always been considered an essential factor affecting the formation of BaP. 5 To further explore the factors influencing the generation of BaP, we selected four phenolic compounds with relatively strong inhibitory effects to explore their effect on fat oxidation degree in pork sausages (Table 3). Compared with the sausages before charcoal grilling, the content of fatty acids in the sausages after charcoal grilling was significantly reduced, and unsaturated fatty acid decreased more than saturated fatty acid (P < 0.05), indicating that high temperature caused oxidation and pyrolysis of fatty acids in sausages.…”

“…Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a PAH with five aromatic rings produced by organic matter during pyrolysis, with carcinogenic, mutagenic and cytotoxic properties 2,3 . Although the complete formation mechanism of BaP is still uncertain, many studies have postulated that the generation of BaP is directly tied to free radicals 4‐7 . From the perspective of grilled meat products, BaP accumulation relates to several possible elements, including the nutrient content (fat, protein and carbohydrate) in meat and the processing methods (temperature, time and material) 8‐10 …”

“…2,3 Although the complete formation mechanism of BaP is still uncertain, many studies have postulated that the generation of BaP is directly tied to free radicals. [4][5][6][7] From the perspective of grilled meat products, BaP accumulation relates to several possible elements, including the nutrient content (fat, protein and carbohydrate) in meat and the processing methods (temperature, time and material). [8][9][10] In response to the hazard of carcinogens to human health, changes in processing conditions and the application of antioxidant agents have been seen as effective measures to decrease the content of BaP in grilled meat products.…”