Involvement of free radicals in the formation of heterocyclic amines and prevention by antioxidants

It was found that free radical intermediates, pyrazine cation radial and carbon-centered radicals, generated in the Maillard reaction of sugars/amino acids, were involved in the production of mutagenic and carcinogenic imidazoquinoquizaline heterocyclic amines. Prevention of the generation of these radical intermediates by phenolic antioxidants effectively inhibited the generation of the heterocyclic amines.