Inhibition of mutagenic N-nitroso compound formation in sausage samples by using l-ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol

In this study 24 samples of sausage with different amounts of nitrite, l-ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol were prepared in order to determine the inhibitory effects of l-ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol as reductants against formation of mutagenic N-nitroso compounds that form in cured meat products. These mutagenic N-nitroso compounds were extracted by phosphate buffer and ethylacetate. The mutagenicity of extracts were investigated by salmonella/microsome assay. The number of revertants indicated the N-nitroso compounds content. Among the Salmonella typhimurium strains tested, the revertants of S. typhimurium TA100 were significantly reduced (P<0.5) by 60% when reductants were added to the samples.