An in vitro effect of ascorbate on the spontaneous reduction of sodium nitrite concentration in a reaction mixture.
Nitrite is known to react with free amines to form nitrosamines which may have carcinogenic activity. The present study provides evidence showing that addition of ascorbic acid in a reaction mixture results in a spontaneous decrease in nitrite concentration. The nitrite lowering effect of ascorbic acid appears to correlate with the rate of oxidation of the vitamin to dehydroascorbic acid, suggesting that ascorbic acid may be involved in the reduction of nitrite to nitrogen oxide.
D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009573:Nitrites; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012977:Sodium Nitrite
D009573:Nitrites; D009589:Nitrogen Oxides; D012977:Sodium Nitrite; D001205:Ascorbic Acid