New sources of dietary myosmine uptake from cereals, fruits, vegetables, and milk.
Myosmine has been regarded as a specific tobacco alkaloid until investigations pointed out that nuts and nut products constitute a significant source of myosmine. In the present study it is shown that the occurrence of myosmine is widespread throughout a large number of plant families. Using a method for extraction practicable for all examined foods, quantitative analysis through internal standard addition showed nanograms per gram amounts. Positively tested edibles were staple foods such as maize, rice, wheat flour, millet, potato, and milk and also cocoa, popcorn, tomato, carrot, pineapple, kiwi, and apples. No myosmine was detectable in other vegetables and fruits such as lettuce, spinach, cucumber, onion, banana, tangerines, and grapes. Myosmine is easily nitrosated giving rise to a DNA adduct identical to the esophageal tobacco carcinogen N-nitrosonornicotine. Therefore, the role of dietary myosmine in esophageal adenocarcinoma should be further investigated.
Tyroller
Stefan
S
Walther Straub Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Nussbaumstrasse 26, D-80336 Munich, Germany.
Zwickenpflug
Wolfgang
W
Richter
Elmar
E
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000139:chemically induced; D000470:Alkaloids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000737:chemistry*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*
D000470:Alkaloids; C002398:myosmine