ACRYLAMIDE And DANGERS IN FOOD PRODUCTS

Definitions and Structural Chemistry

Acrylamide is composed of amide group and a vinyl group which is an intermediate product resulting from the decomposition reaction mailard into several precursors, ie products with a reducing sugar and aspargin. This substance is also used to purify drinking water. Since 1950, acrylamide is produced by the hydration of acrylonitrile and contained in the form of monomers, whereas polyacrylamide is in the form of a polymer (Anonymous 1994; 1985). Here below is the conformation of the chemical structure of acrylamide Figure 1.

Figure 1. Structure of Acrylamide

Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Acrylamide

Acrylamide is a white crystalline solid Shaped, odorless, Highly soluble in water, ethanol, ether and chloroform, moderatly soluble in organic solvents, density 1,123 g / cm3 30 ° C has a molecular weight of 71, melts at a temperature of 84.5 ° C, and boils at a temperature of 125 ° C, soluble in water, acetone, and etalolini, easy to react by reaction of the amide or carbon double bond, the combustion process produces substances that are harmful to health, such as ammonia, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides.

Acrylamide is commonly used in industry as a drinking water purification material, adhesive raw materials, plastics, printing ink, dye synthetic, emulsion stabilizers, paper and cosmetics. In addition, acrylamide is often used as a copolymer in the manufacture of contact lenses. Acrylamide is produced since 1950 by means of hydration of acrylonitrile and contained in the form of monomers, being there in the form of polyacrylamide polymer.

Acrylamide Danger

Initial studies indicate that acrylamide relationship with health related to carcinogenicity and neurotoxicity. Acrylamide has a saturated system electrophile which can react with nucleophilic center. The cluster of proteins and amino acids into the target primary reaction because they have nucleophilic center.

Binding of acrylamide with the hemoglobin protein, causes toxicity in the action of the network. Forms monomer are toxic to the central nervous system, while the polymer form is known to be toxic. Exposure to acrylamide at high doses shown to damage DNA that acts as genetic material, the nerve center, causing tumor, lower fertility rates, and resulted in a miscarriage in mice, whereas in the long term with smaller doses can trigger disturbances in the peripheral nervous system , After exposure to acrylamide is stopped, such disorders can be reduced, but it can last for months or even years.

Acrylamide danger: a) are neurotoxic means toxic attacking the peripheral nerve tissue in humans and cause irritation to the skin and eyes. b) Acrylamide is a cancer-causing substances (carcinogenic) that damage DNA with a mutation spectrum, wherein the acrylamide is produced when food is processed at temperatures> 120 ° C) Acrylamide is able to mutate the DNA in mouse embryo cells. Cell embryos were exposed akrilamide increased amount due to mutated.

The results of the reviews Claus et al (2008) also reported that the oncogenic studies in rats Fischer who received 2 mg acrylamide / kg significantly enhances the tumor in the thyroid gland, testes, the central nervous system, uterus, and other tissues. However, of all the studies use high doses of acrylamide with animal experiments, it is not easy to be extrapolated into acrylamide through food intake in humans.

Acrylamide Formation During Food Processing

Acrylamide is found in certain foods eg potato chips, french fries, cereals and bread, which is in the process and making use of high temperatures. Where thermal expansion and increasing time, can increase the levels of acrylamide. Initial studies Mottram and Stadler strongly suspect that the formation of acrylamide in potato is heated as a result of the reaction of amino acids such as aspargine (and some glutamine) and reducing sugars (glucose and fructose). The main amino acid asparagine which has a structure similar to acrylamide, and the compound suspected of the most instrumental in the formation of acrylamide.

The mechanism for formation of acrylamide in foods by the Maillard reaction, the reaction between a reducing sugar degradation product of starch (carbohydrate) (such as glucose and fructose) with free amino acids (such as alanine, asparagine, glutamine, and methionine) found naturally in foodstuffs with heating using high temperature (above 120 ° C).

Usually this event occurs at the time of frying, roasting or baking. The third process is responsible for the high-low acrylamide in food. The darker the color of the product as a result of cooking, the more the content of acrylamide in it.

The threshold of acrylamide

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1992 and the European Union and the World Health Organization in 1985 has restricted the level of acrylamide in drinking water of 0.5 mg / L (ppb). Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEAHHA), a division of the EPA are located in California, the United States has determined that 0.2 ug / day of acrylamide is not carcinogenic. A single dose of acrylamide produce acute toxic effect only at doses above 100 mg / kg, and reported LD50 typically above 150 mg / kg.

Risk assessment results of studies on the intake of acrylamide in some countries is estimated at between 0.2 to 0.8 mg / kg / day. The FDA reported that the estimated intake of acrylamide for US consumers an average of 0.4 mg / kg / day. For International customers on average range from 0.2 to 1.4 mg / kg / day. Based on the estimates of many countries, identified average acrylamide intake of 1-4 mg / kg / day. World Health Organization (WHO) states that in the general population, the average intake of acrylamide through food is in the range 0.3-0.8 mg / kg / day.