Prevention of formation of important mutagens/carcinogens in the human food chain.

Abstract

Etiological factors for gastric cancer, among others, involve consumption of smoked, salted, and pickled fish of certain types. Their chemical nature is not yet fully established but probably involves diazo phenols, and their formation can be prevented either by omitting the salting and pickling process, or by using vitamins C and E on the food prior to salting, pickling, or smoking. Both preventive approaches would limit the formation of mutagenic and carcinogenic diazo phenols. Sugimura and associates discovered new types of mutagens as heterocyclic amines that are formed during frying or broiling of meats and fish. In rats, these amines induce cancer specifically in organs such as breast, colon, or pancreas, associated with Western-type nutrition where promotional elements such as dietary fat play an enhancing role. Thus, inhibition of the formation of these new carcinogens during cooking would remove the genotoxic components from the diet. Mixing 10% soy protein with ground meat prior to frying prevents the formation of these mutagens presumably by affording a lower surface temperature. More effective is the addition of tryptophan, proline, or mixtures thereof, which specifically blocks the formation of these mutagens/carcinogens, probably by competing for reactive intermediary aldehydes, so that these cannot interact with the normal essential target, creatinine. Thus, we have available practical, yet science-based, mechanistically understood procedures to prevent the formation of carcinogens associated with important types of cancer prevalent in many countries.