Identification of Precursors and Formation Pathway for the Heterocyclic Aromatic Amine 2-Amino-3-methylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline (IQ)

Food processing is responsible for the destruction of some health hazards, but it is responsible for the formation of new ones. Among them, the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) has received a considerable attention because of their carcinogenicity. In spite of this, HAA formation is still poorly understood. This study was undertaken to identify precursors and formation pathways for 2-amino-3-methylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline (IQ). IQ was produced by reaction of acrolein, crotonaldehyde, creatinine, and ammonia. Reaction conditions were studied, and its activation energy (E_a) was determined to be 77.0 ± 1.3 kJ/mol. IQ formation was always accompanied by the formation of the HAA 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo(4,5-f)quinoline (MeIQ), which was produced with an E_a of 72.2 ± 0.4 kJ/mol. A reaction pathway for the competitive formation of IQ and MeIQ is proposed. Obtained results demonstrate the significant role of reactive carbonyls (the food carbonylome) in HAA formation and provide evidences for designing HAA mitigation strategies.

Conversion of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural into 6-(Hydroxymethyl)pyridin-3-ol: A Pathway for the Formation of Pyridin-3-ols in Honey and Model Systems

The formation of 6-(hydroxymethyl)pyridin-3-ol by ring expansion of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) in the presence of ammonia-producing compounds was studied to determine the routes of formation of pyridin-3-ols in foods. 6-(Hydroxymethyl)pyridin-3-ol was produced from HMF in model systems, mostly at neutral pH values, as a function of reaction times and temperature and with an activation energy (E_a) of 74 ± 3 kJ/mol, which was higher than that of HMF disappearance (43 ± 4 kJ/mol). A reaction pathway is proposed, which is general for the formation of pyridin-3-ols from 2-oxofurans. Thus, it explains the conversions of furfural into pyridin-3-ol and of 2-acetylfuran into 2-methylpyridin-3-ol, which were also studied. When honey and sugarcane honey were heated, they produced different pyridin-3-ols, although 6-(hydroxymethyl)pyridin-3-ol was the pyridine-3-ol produced to the highest extent. Obtained results suggest that formation of pyridin-3-ols in foods is unavoidable when 2-oxofurans are submitted to thermal heating and ammonia (or ammonia-producing compounds) is present.