Asparagine Linked to Acrylamide Formation During Cooking
By Biotechdaily staff writers
Posted on 16 Oct 2002
Two recent studies describe how acrylamide, a nerve toxin in high concentrations and a probable carcinogen in trace amounts, is formed in foods during cooking through a heat-activated chemical process involving the naturally occurring amino acid asparagine. Both studies were published in the October 3, 2002, issue of Nature. Posted on 16 Oct 2002
Researchers at the University of Reading (UK) demonstrated that heating the amino acid asparagine in the presence of sugar triggered the chemical process known as the Maillard reaction and produced acrylamide. Heating other amino acids with glucose did not produce acrylamide.
An independent study carried out at the Nestlé Research Center (Lausanne, CZ) confirmed that heating asparagine in the presence of glucose resulted in acrylamide formation. In this study, asparagine labeled with radioactive nitrogen atoms was employed. After heating the asparagine with glucose, radioactive nitrogen was found in the acrylamide that formed.
Asparagine is present in particularly high levels in potatoes and in some cereals. The current studies help to explain the high levels of acrylamide found in these products after cooking.
Related Links:
University of Reading
Nestlé Research Center
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