title: The evaluation in the Ames test of the mutagenicity of tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acids from smoked foods.
abstract: This paper reports the evaluation of five tetrahydro-beta-carboline carboxylic acids, formed from the interaction of woodsmoke carbonyls and tryptophan, for mutagenicity in the Ames test. Three of the compounds tested have been detected recently in smoked foods at levels in the micrograms/kg or mg/kg range. None of the compounds induced mutagenicity in TA 97, TA 98 or TA 100 strains of Salmonella typhimurium either with or without prior activation. However, tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid, and to a lesser extent 1-methyl-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid were toxic to the strains of Salmonella typhimurium used. The inability of these beta-carbolines to induce mutation contrasts markedly with the mutagenicity of some beta-carbolines found in grilled meat products.
authors.affiliation: Division of Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papavergou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ioannides
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Clifford
mesh_terms: D002243:Carbolines / Q000032:analysis*; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D008461:Meat Products / Q000032:analysis*; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium
chemical_list: D002243:Carbolines; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; C009804:tryptoline