Abstract
THE potential for the formation of N-nitrosamines in the human environment, either during the processing of foods or in vivo from nitrate and/or nitrite, and precursor amines has received considerable attention in recent years. Traditionally only secondary amines were thought to undergo N-nitrosation reactions. While secondary amines per se are not common in biological systems, tertiary amines and quaternary ammonium compounds do occur in plant and animal tissue. The possible formation of N-nitrosamines from these compounds must be considered because recent reports have appeared on the nitrosation of trimethylamine1,2 and trimethylamine oxide1 in connexion with the possible formation of N-nitrosamines in fish products cured with nitrate. The nitrosative cleavage of tertiary amines is not new and has been described before3,4.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Ender, F., Havre, G. N., Madsen, R., Ceh, L., and Helgebostad, Z. Tierphysiol. Tierernaehr. Futtermittelk., 22, 181 (1967).
Malins, D. C., Roubal, W. T., and Robisch, P. A., J. Agric. Food Chem., 18, 740 (1970).
Crowley, G. P., Milton, G. J. G., Reade, T. H., and Todd, W. M., J. Chem. Soc., 1286, (1940).
Smith, P. A. S., and Loeppky, R. N., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 89, 1147 (1967).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
FIDDLER, W., PENSABENE, J., DOERR, R. et al. Formation of N-Nitrosodimethylamine from Naturally Occurring Quaternary Ammonium Compounds and Tertiary Amines. Nature 236, 307 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/236307a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/236307a0
This article is cited by
-
Estimate of the volatile nitrosamine content of UK food
Nature (1978)
-
Bestimmung fl�chtiger Nitrosamine in pflanzlichem Material und Boden mit Hilfe der Gaschromatographie
Zeitschrift f�r Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung (1977)
-
Über Zusammenhänge von Nitrat-Nitrit-Nitrosaminen in pflanzlichem Material Und im Boden
Qualitas Plantarum Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (1976)
-
Reaction of sodium nitrite with dimethylglycine produces nitrososarcosine
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (1975)
-
Formation of Nitrosamines in a Meat Curing Mixture
Nature (1973)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.