Analysis of 7 volatile N-nitrosamines in Chinese Sichuan salted vegetables by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry coupled to modified QuEchERS extraction

Preparation of ortho-hydroxyl/carboxyl dual-functionalized hypercrosslinked polymers for highly efficient enrichment of nitrosamines with broad polarity prior to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis

N-nitrosamines (NAs) are highly carcinogenic substances commonly detected in food. They demonstrate a broad spectrum of polarity, posing a challenge in finding a suitable adsorbent capable of simultaneously adsorbing and enriching both polar and nonpolar NAs with high extraction recoveries. The present study involves the synthesis of a series of carboxyl functionalized hypercrosslinked polymers, followed by a comparative evaluation of their adsorption performance towards NAs. The results demonstrated that the ortho-hydroxyl/carboxyl dual-functionalized hypercrosslinked polymer (SA-FDA-HCP), synthesized using salicylic acid as the monomer and formaldehyde dimethyl acetal as the crosslinking agent, exhibited significantly enhanced adsorption performance on NAs. The maximum adsorption capacities of SA-FDA-HCP for N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, and N-nitrosodiphenylamine were determined to be 1.40, 4.18, 2.84, and 52.4 mg g-1, respectively. These values surpass those reported in the literature for other adsorbents. Furthermore, the polymer exhibited extraction recoveries exceeding 80 % for all four NAs, and it exhibits exceptional selectivity towards NAs. The high adsorption performance can be attributed to the synergistic effects of multiple interactions, including electrostatic, hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Based on the synthesized hypercrosslinked polymers, a method for analyzing these NAs was developed using dispersed solid-phase extraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The method demonstrates good accuracy and precision within the linear range of 1 - 80 ng mL-1, while providing relative recoveries for the four NAs range from 91.1 % to 111.5 %. The intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations are between 4.4 % and 9.8 %, as well as 5.6 % and 10.9 %, respectively. Moreover, the limits of detection fall within a range of 0.11 to 0.73 ng mL-1. These results indicate that the developed material holds great potential for the separation, enrichment and analysis of N-nitrosamines across diverse applications.

Extraction and analytical approaches for the determination of post-food processing major carcinogens: A comprehensive review towards healthier processed food

Different food processing methods, e.g. fermentation, grilling, frying, etc., to improve food sensory attributes or shelf-stability are typically employed in different cuisines worldwide. These methods may illicit in-situ health-hazardous chemicals via thermal or enzymatic-mediated processes or chemical interactions with food preservatives. This review provides a comparative overview of the occurrence, extraction, and determination of the major food carcinogens such as nitrosamines (NAs), biogenic amines (BAs), heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), ethyl carbamate (EC), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Their carcinogenicity levels vary from group 1 (carcinogenic to humans) e.g. benzo[a]pyrene, group 2A (probably carcinogenic to humans) e.g. N-nitrosodiethylamine, group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans) e.g. chrysene or group 3 (non-classifiable as carcinogenic to humans) e.g. MDA. Chromatography-based methods are the most predominant techniques used for their analysis. LC-MS is widely used for both volatile/non-volatile NAs, HAAs, BAs, and EC, whereas GC-MS is applied more for volatile NAs, PAHs and MDA.

From detection methods to risk prevention: Control of N-nitrosamines in foods and the role of natural bioactive compounds

Food processing unavoidably introduces various risky ingredients that threaten food safety. N-Nitrosamines (NAs) constitute a class of food contaminants, which are considered carcinogenic to humans. According to the compiled information, pretreatment methods based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) were widely used before the determination of volatile NAs in foods. The innovation of adsorbents and hybridization of other methods have been confirmed as the future trends of SPE-based pretreatment methods. Moreover, technologies based on liquid chromatography and gas chromatography were popularly applied for the detection of NAs. Recently, sensor-based methods have garnered increasing attention due to their efficiency and flexibility. More portable sensor-based technologies are recommended for on-site monitoring of NAs in the future. The application of artificial intelligence can facilitate data processing during high-throughput detection of NAs. Natural bioactive compounds have been confirmed to be effective in mitigating NAs in foods through antioxidation, scavenging precursors, and regulating microbial activities. Meanwhile, they exhibit strong protective activities against hepatic damage, pancreatic cancer, and other NA injuries. Further supplementation of data on the bioavailability of bioactives can be achieved through encapsulation and clinical trials. The utilization of bioinformatics tools rooted in various omics technologies is suggested for investigating novel mechanisms and finally broadening their applications in targeted therapies.

Nitrogen-doped magnetic porous carbon nanospheres derived from dual templates-induced mesoporous polydopamine coated Fe3O4 for efficient extraction and sensitive determination of volatile nitrosamines by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy

N-nitrosamines (NAs) are highly carcinogenic compounds commonly found in food, beverages, and consumer products. Due to their wide polarity range, it is challenging to find a suitable carbon adsorbent that can simultaneously adsorb and enrich both polar and nonpolar NAs with good recovery. In this study, nitrogen-doped magnetic mesoporous carbon nanospheres (M-MCN) were prepared and employed as an adsorbent for magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) to extract and concentrate four NAs. The introduction of nitrogen functional groups enhanced the hydrophilicity of the carbon material, allowing M-MCN to achieve a balance between hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity, resulting in good recovery for both polar and nonpolar NAs. A method combining MSPE with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed for the determination of NAs in processed meat and alcoholic beverages. The method exhibited a good linear range (1-100 ng g-1, r2 > 0.9967) and trace-level detection (0.53-6.6 ng g-1). The recovery rates for the four NAs ranged between 85.7 and 110.7 %, with intra-day precision expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) between 4.1 and 10.7 %, and inter-day precision between 4.8 and 12.9 %. The results demonstrated not only good accuracy and precision but also provided a new adsorbent for the enrichment of trace-level NAs in processed meat and alcoholic beverage samples.

Preparation of metal-organic framework @molecularly imprinted polymers for extracting N-nitrosamines in salted vegetables

In this paper, the novel metal-organic framework @molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared and applied in extracting N-nitrosamines from salted vegetables. The imprinted polymers were coated on the surface of MIL-101 using multi-dummy template molecules (5-nonanol, benzhydrol and N-formylpyrrolidine). The characterization and adsorbing experiments showed that the hybrid imprinted polymers presented spherical particles with typically core-shell structure, and exhibited high adsorption capacity (maximum capacity: 46.85 mg/g) and fast equilibrium rate (only 5 min) for N-nitrosamines. Various parameters (sample loading solvent, pH, washing solvent, elution solvent and elution volume) affecting solid-phase extraction were optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the solid-phase extraction process based on the hybrid polymers combined with high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection method was established and applied to analyze N-nitrosamines in different salted vegetables. The results showed that the developed method produced the linear relationship between the peak areas versus the N-nitrosamines concentrations of 0.2-10 µg/g with limit of detections from 20.6 to 76.1 ng/g. The spiked recovery of N-nitrosamines in the salted vegetable samples was in the range of 66-100.5 % with relative standard deviation from 0.1 to 3.4 %. Those results demonstrated that the established method was sensitive and efficient for directly enriching and analyzing trace N-nitrosamines in salted vegetables.

Risk assessment of N-nitrosamines in food

EFSA was asked for a scientific opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of N-nitrosamines (N-NAs) in food. The risk assessment was confined to those 10 carcinogenic N-NAs occurring in food (TCNAs), i.e. NDMA, NMEA, NDEA, NDPA, NDBA, NMA, NSAR, NMOR, NPIP and NPYR. N-NAs are genotoxic and induce liver tumours in rodents. The in vivo data available to derive potency factors are limited, and therefore, equal potency of TCNAs was assumed. The lower confidence limit of the benchmark dose at 10% (BMDL10) was 10 μg/kg body weight (bw) per day, derived from the incidence of rat liver tumours (benign and malignant) induced by NDEA and used in a margin of exposure (MOE) approach. Analytical results on the occurrence of N-NAs were extracted from the EFSA occurrence database (n = 2,817) and the literature (n = 4,003). Occurrence data were available for five food categories across TCNAs. Dietary exposure was assessed for two scenarios, excluding (scenario 1) and including (scenario 2) cooked unprocessed meat and fish. TCNAs exposure ranged from 0 to 208.9 ng/kg bw per day across surveys, age groups and scenarios. 'Meat and meat products' is the main food category contributing to TCNA exposure. MOEs ranged from 3,337 to 48 at the P95 exposure excluding some infant surveys with P95 exposure equal to zero. Two major uncertainties were (i) the high number of left censored data and (ii) the lack of data on important food categories. The CONTAM Panel concluded that the MOE for TCNAs at the P95 exposure is highly likely (98-100% certain) to be less than 10,000 for all age groups, which raises a health concern.

Method for trace determination of N-nitrosamines impurities in metronidazole benzoate using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Genotoxic impurity control has been a great concern in the pharmaceutical industry since the recall of the large round of sartans worldwide in 2018. In these sartans, N-nitrosamines were the main contaminants in active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulations. Numerous analytical methods have been developed to detect N-nitrosamines in food, drugs, and environmental samples. In this study, a sensitive method is developed for the trace determination of N-nitrosamine impurities in metronidazole benzoate pharmaceuticals using high-performance liquid chromatography/atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry in the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The method was validated regarding system suitability, selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, sensitivity, solution stability, and robustness. The method showed good linearity with R² ≥ 0.999 and F_Mandel  < F_tab(95%) ranging from 0.33 to 8.00 ng/ml. The low limits of detection of N-nitrosamines were in the range of 0.22-0.80 ng/ml (0.0014-0.0050 ppm). The low limits of quantification were in the range of 0.33-1.20 ng/ml (0.0021-0.0075 ppm), which were lower than the acceptable limits in metronidazole benzoate pharmaceuticals and indicated the high sensitivity of the method. The recoveries of N-nitrosamines ranged from 84% to 97%. Thus, this method exhibits good selectivity, sensitivity, and accuracy. Moreover, it is a simple, convenient, and scientific strategy for detecting N-nitrosamine impurities in pharmaceuticals to support the development of the pharmaceutical industry.

N-nitrosamines in Qingdao dried aquatic products and dietary risk assessment

N-nitrosamines are human carcinogens commonly present in dried aquatic products. A method of gas chromatography - mass spectrometry combined with steam distillation was developed for the determination of 9 N-nitrosamines in dried aquatic products in Qingdao, China, with which 300 samples of fish, squid, shrimp and sea cucumber collected from Qingdao were analysed. A health risk assessment was conducted based on determined levels of N-nitrosamines by using estimated daily intake and slope factors. Results showed that fish products was the category with the highest content of N-nitrosamines, whereas squid and shrimp products were the categories with the highest frequency of presence of N-nitrosamines. The average estimated cancer risk of N-nitrosamines in dried aquatic products in Qingdao ranged from 3.57 × 10^-8 to 3.53 × 10^-5. Nitrosodimethylamine, N-Nitrosodiethylamine and N-Nitrosodibutylamine could be considered to pose a potential cancer risk to residents in Qingdao.

Development of a fully automated analytical platform based on static headspace-gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of five N-nitrosamines in dried aquatic products of animal origin

BACKGROUND

The development of rapid and sensitive monitoring methods for trace N-nitrosamines (NAs) in foodstuffs is essential for mitigating the potential health risks to consumers. In the present study, an analytical platform based on one step fully automated static headspace sampling and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was developed and validated for the analysis of N-nitrosamines in dried aquatic products of animal origin. The samples and sodium chloride solution mixture were incubated in a heated headspace vial for analyte evaporation, coupled to automatic sampling and online GC-MS/MS analysis. The proposed method requires minimal sample preparation and organic solvent consumption. Five N-nitrosamines including N-nitroso dimethylamine, N-nitroso methyl ethylamine, N-nitroso pyrolidine, N-nitroso piperidine and N-nitroso diphenylamine were selected as model compounds to optimize the significant factors by a using Box-Behnken design.

RESULTS

The optimum conditions achieved limits of detections in the range 0.08-0.29 μg kg^-1 , with correlation coefficient over 0.998. Relative recoveries in dried aquatic product sample were in the range 76.9-92.4%, with relative SDs of 1.9-7.2%.

CONCLUSION

These results confirm the reliability of the developed method for further application in trace level monitoring of the target analytes in foodstuffs. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ultrasound Assisted Extraction Approach to Test the Effect of Elastic Rubber Nettings on the N-Nitrosamines Content of Ham Meat Samples

Nitrosamines (NAs), which are catalogued as carcinogenic compounds, may be present in meat products due to the conversion of nitrites and as result of migration from elastic rubber nettings used. A method based on ultrasonic assisted extraction coupled with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction as sample treatment and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as separation and detection technique was proposed for the determination of twelve NAs in cooked ham samples. The method was validated by evaluating linearity (0.5–1000 ng g⁻¹), matrix effect, sensitivity (detection limits were between 0.15 and 1.4 ng g⁻¹) and precision, which was below 12%. Five NAs were found in the samples with levels ranging from not quantifiable to 40 ng g⁻¹. The effect of the elastic rubber nettings on the nitrosamine content of meat was evaluated by comparing the levels found in products made with several plastics or thread in the presence of additives.

Sodium Reduction in Traditional Fermented Foods: Challenges, Strategies, and Perspectives

Sodium salt is a pivotal ingredient in traditional fermented foods, but its excessive consumption adversely affects human health, product quality, and production efficiency. Therefore, reducing sodium salt content in traditional fermented foods and developing low-sodium fermented foods have attracted increasing attention. Given the essential role of sodium salt in the safety and quality of fermented foods, appropriate approaches should be applied in the production of low-sodium fermented foods. In this review, the challenges of sodium reduction in traditional fermented foods are presented, including the possible growth of pathogenic bacteria, the formation of hazardous chemicals, flavor deficiency, and texture deterioration. Physical, chemical, and biological strategies are also discussed. This review provides references for improving the quality and safety of low-sodium fermented foods.

[Determination of nine N-nitrosamines in animal derived foods by QuEChERS-isotope dilution combined with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry]

建立了同时测定动物源性食品中9种N-亚硝胺类化合物的气相色谱-串联质谱分析方法。当下动物源性食品中N-亚硝胺类化合物污染种类较多,对人体危害较大,但国标GB 5009.26-2016仅针对N-二甲基亚硝胺的检测,且存在样品前处理复杂、标准方法回收率低、再现性差等问题,因此建立同时快速检测多种N-亚硝胺类化合物的方法有一定现实意义。称取10.0 g样品,置于50 mL离心管中,加入200 μL内标工作液和10 mL乙腈,冷冻30 min后,加入4 g硫酸镁和1 g氯化钠进行脱水,以9000 r/min离心5 min。取5 mL上清液使用150 mg聚苯乙烯二乙烯苯(PLS-A)粉末净化,再使用1.6 g MgSO₄和0.4 g NaCl脱水,过0.22 μm滤膜,上机分析。在初始温度为50 ℃时采用程序升温模式,0.16 min后,以900 ℃/min的速率将温度升至220 ℃。采用毛细管气相色谱柱HP-Innowax(30 m×0.25 mm×0.25 μm)分离,使用电子轰击电离(EI)源检测,在多反应监测模式下,以保留时间和特征离子对信息进行定性和定量分析,使用内标法定量N-亚硝胺类化合物。结果表明,N-亚硝胺类化合物在0.1~50.0 μg/L范围内具有良好的线性关系,方法的检出限(S/N=3)和定量限(S/N=10)分别为0.03~0.30 μg/kg和0.10~1.00 μg/kg。对不同样品基质进行0.5、1.0、3.0 μg/kg3个水平的加标回收试验,9种N-亚硝胺类化合物的回收率为80.4%~98.5%, RSD(n=6)为2.41%~12.50%。应用建立的方法检测市面上常见的动物源性食品,除N-亚硝基乙胺、N-亚硝基吗啡胆碱外,其他7种N-亚硝胺类化合物均有不同程度检出。检测结果表明,腌制水产品中N-亚硝胺类化合物含量普遍高于其他样品。研究建立的方法操作简单,不需要长时间蒸馏提取,可快速对动物源性食品中N-亚硝胺类化合物进行定性和定量分析,且样品和试剂的消耗量更少,节省成本,对环境污染小。该法的建立对我国动物源性食品中N-亚硝胺类化合物残留水平的控制、检测标准的制定和采取相应的管理措施具有一定的理论和现实意义。

Intake of volatile nitrosamines by Chinese residents in different provinces via food and drinking water

N-nitrosamines are potent carcinogens, particularly N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), which are commonly found in a variety of foods and drinking water. We calculated the food and drinking water intakes of NDMA, NDEA, and total volatile nitrosamines (TVNA) by Chinese residents in different provinces by multiplying the reported total diet study results by the nitrosamine contents in food and drinking water. The weighted content of nitrosamines in each category of foods and the concentration of nitrosamines in drinking water was obtained through literature review. The exogenous NDMA, NDEA and TVNA intakes of adult residents in 20 provinces ranged from 171 to 425 ng/d, 41 to 140 ng/d and 373 to 1028 ng/d, respectively. The main contributors to NDMA and TVNA intakes were vegetables, cereals, aquatic products, and meats while the main sources of NDEA intake were vegetables and cereals. The average total NDMA intake per capita in China (251 ng/d) was similar to that in Germany in 1991 (231 ng/d) but higher than that in the United States (136 ng/d), Canada (87.6 ng/d) and France (188 ng/d). Large differences in nitrosamine intakes were observed between the coastal provinces and inland provinces. Drinking water was estimated to contribute 13.1%, 1.3% and 10.8% of the exogenous intakes of NDMA, NDEA and TVNA, respectively. Based on our results, we recommend setting the NDMA drinking water criterion of 40 ng/L. Overall, this study presents basic information regarding nitrosamines intake via food and drinking water in China that will facilitate risk assessment, generation of health advisories and policy making.