title: Mutagenicity of heated sugar-casein systems: effect of the Maillard reaction.
abstract: The formation of mutagens after the heating of sugar-casein model systems at 120 degrees C was examined by the Ames test, using Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100. Several sugars (glucose, fructose, galactose, tagatose, lactose, and lactulose) were compared in their mutagenicities. Mutagenicity could be fully ascribed to Maillard reaction products and strongly varied with the kind of sugar. The differences in mutagenicity among the sugar-casein systems were caused by a difference in reaction rate and a difference in reaction mechanism. Sugars with a comparable reaction mechanism (glucose and galactose) showed a higher mutagenic activity corresponding with a higher Maillard reactivity. Disaccharides showed no mutagenic activity (lactose) or a lower mutagenic activity (lactulose) than their corresponding monosaccharides. Ketose sugars (fructose and tagatose) showed a remarkably higher mutagenicity compared with their aldose isomers (glucose and galactose), which was due to a difference in reaction mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Food Science Group and Toxicology Group, Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Brands
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Alink
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van Boekel
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Jongen
mesh_terms: D002364:Caseins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006601:Hexoses / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015416:Maillard Reaction; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D004187:Disaccharides; D006601:Hexoses; D009153:Mutagens