title: Nitrosation of Nigerian medicinal plant preparations under 'chemical' and 'simulated' gastric conditions.
abstract: Preparations of some tropical plants of medicinal importance, collected from the savannah vegetational belt of Nigeria, were nitrosated and analysed for volatile N-nitrosamines formed under chemical and simulated gastric conditions. N-Nitrosamines were determined on a Thermal Energy Analyser following gas chromatographic separation. Mean concentrations of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in the range of 7 to 58 ppb and N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) in the range of 23 to 26 ppb were formed in 31 and 7%, respectively, of the preparations using artificial gastric juice (simulated gastric condition). Under chemically optimal conditions, relatively high levels of NDMA (72-2008 ppb), NDEA (23-1528 ppb) and N-nitrosopyrrolidine (20-405 ppb) were formed in 100, 75 and 32% of the preparations, respectively; N-nitrosomethylethylamine, N-nitrosodibutylamine and N-nitrosomorpholine were formed in fewer preparations. These findings suggest that the endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds from precursors present in medicinal plants might be another source of human exposure to environmental carcinogens in Nigeria and other developing countries.
authors: National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria.
authors: S E
authors: SE
authors: Atawodi
authors: A G
authors: AG
authors: Lamorde
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Spiegelhalder
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Preussmann
mesh_terms: D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005750:Gastric Juice / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D009549:Nigeria; D009602:Nitrosamines / Q000032:analysis*; D015538:Nitrosation; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000378:metabolism*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009602:Nitrosamines; D010936:Plant Extracts