Dietary consumption of pre-carcinogenic amines and mutagenicity in humans: An evidence-based study

Dietary consumption of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAA) is considered to be a high-risk factor that substantially contributes to the development of mutagenicity and carcinogenicity in humans. This study provides ample evidence for the plausible association between mutagenicity or carcinogenicity development and dietary intake of heterocyclic amines in humans. The current study intends to assess the degree of heterocyclic amine contaminants in high-temperature cooked meats, their subsequent food intake, and potential health risk estimations. The meat samples were homogenized, filtered, extracted, and eluted. The list of heterocyclic amines to be identified and quantified included PhIP (2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b] pyridine), IQ (2-amino-3-methyl-imidazo[4,5-f] quinolone), and MeIQx (2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f] quinoxaline). They were simultaneously isolated and studied using the method of high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The highest heterocyclic amine concentration was found in chicken (2705.99 ± 6.12 ng/g), beef (574.09 ± 1.52 ng/g), and mutton (342.41 ± 3.69 ng/g). PhIP (73%) was the main heterocyclic amine in chicken. The estimated daily dietary intake or exposure in chicken, mutton, and beef was 0.690, 0.050, and 0.144 ng/kg body weight, respectively. The values for margin of exposure were within the range identified by the European Food Safety Authority for mutton (102.06) and chicken (13.250), but not for beef (3.784). This significantly high prevalence of heterocyclic amines and the associated health risks are sufficient to warn the public about the high dietary intake of meat and its carcinogenic health hazards. The mutational patterns induced by heterocyclic amines resemble those in human tumors, requiring the use of specific biomarkers like HAA-DNA and HAA-protein adducts. Future prospects are high for integrating these biomarkers into epidemiological studies, which could provide a comprehensive assessment of health risks associated with dietary heterocyclic aromatic amines in human cancer.