Reaction mixtures formed by nitrite and selected sulfa-drugs showed mutagenicity in acidic medium

• Main Authors: Claudia Trossero, Ana Pontoriero, Estela Hure, Laura Monti, Carolina Gorr, Natalia Mosconi, Marcela Rizzotto, Graciela Caffarena
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Química 2009-01-01
• Series: Química Nova
• Subjects: nitrite; sulfa-drugs; mutagenicity
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-40422009000500013

Nitrite, which is present in preserved meat and can be produced in the oral cavity by reduction of nitrate taken from vegetables, could react in stomach with nitrosatable drugs, giving genotoxic-carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds (NOC). The mutagenicity of reaction mixtures formed by sodium nitrite and selected sulfa-drugs (sulfathiazole, HST; phtalylsulfathiazole, PhST; complex Co(II)-sulfathiazole, Co(II)-ST) in acidic medium was evaluated using the Salmonella typhimurium reverse mutation assay (Ames test), with TA98 and TA 100 strains. The reactions were carried out at room temperature, with a mole ratio [nitrite]/[sulfa-drug] > 1. The three reaction mixtures showed mutagenic effects in the considered range.