Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are compounds
present at part per billion levels in fried, grilled, broiled, barbecued and smoked
meats. Most of these compounds are highly
mutagenic, as demonstrated by the Ames test
using Salmonella typhimurium. They also are
carcinogenic in rodents and non-human primates following high dosage and long term
oral administration. For decades, researchers
have focused on inhibiting the production of
these carcinogens. This research investigates
the effects of natural antioxidants in spices or other ingredients on the reduction of heterocyclic amines formation when beef patties are cooked. The term “spice” in this paper includes herbs. Ground beef patties combined with different levels of added spices or ingredients were cooked at 375°F (5 minutes each side) or 400°F (7.5 minutes each side). Extracted HCAs were then analyzed using reversed-phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with UV-Visible and fluorescence detectors. Of the spices used, basil added at 0.5% was most effective in decreasing HCAs. Of all the ingredients, food starches showed the best inhibition when added at 5% as they reduced MelQx, harman, and norharman forms of HCA at both 375°F and 400°F.
