Tumor-promoting effect of GGN-MRP extract from the Maillard reaction products of glucose and glycine in the presence of sodium nitrite in C3H10T1/2 cells

Promoting neoplastic transformation of humic acid in mouse epidermal JB6 Cl41 cells

Humic acid (HA), a group of high-molecular weight polymer, resulting from the decomposition of organic matter has been implicated as a possible etiological factor for Blackfoot disease and cancer. In this study, we evaluate the promotion effect of HA on the transformation in mouse epidermal JB6 clone 41 (JB6 Cl41) cells that have been used to identify the tumor promoting activity of various compounds. Our preliminary assay demonstrated that JB6 Cl41 cells with the treatment of HA at the concentration of 100 microg/ml for 72 and 96 h significantly increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) as compared to the untreated control. In addition, the 48 h cultured cells with HA pretreatment for 48 h also increased ROS as compared to the untreated control. HA-pretreated cells develop highly scattered and spindle-shaped cells with few observable cell-cell contacts, and contain more filopodia. In vitro wound-healing assay showed that JB6 Cl41 cells with HA pretreatment increased the migrating growth. Furthermore, transformed foci of JB6 Cl41 cells following the HA pretreatment were observed after 6 weeks culture. In anchorage-independent growth assay, we found that HA promoted the colony formation and that colonies were inhibited by antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). Our results suggest that HA may promote the transformation of epidermal cells and that this process is mediated by the generation of ROS.

Biological Effects of Maillard Browning Products That May Affect Acrylamide Safety in Food

The heat-induced reaction of amino groups of amino acids, peptides, and proteins with carbonyl groups of reducing sugars such as glucose results in the concurrent formation of so-called Maillard browning products and acrylamide. For this reason, reported studies of adverse biological effects of pure acrylamide may not always be directly relevant to acrylamide in processed food, which may contain Maillard and other biologically active products. These may either antagonize or potentiate the toxicity of acrylamide. To stimulate progress, this paper presents an overview of selected reported studies on the antiallergenic/allergenic, antibiotic, anticarcinogenic/carcinogenic antimutagenic/mutagenic, antioxidative/oxidative, clastogenic (chromosome-damaging), and cytotoxic activities of Maillard products, which may adversely or beneficially impact the toxicity of acrylamide. The evaluation of biological activities of Maillard products and of other biologically active food ingredients suggests that they could both enhance and/or ameliorate acrylamide toxicity, especially carcinogenicity, but less so neurological or reproductive manifestations. Future studies should be directed to differentiate the individual and combined toxicological relationships among acrylamide and the Maillard products, define individual and combined potencies, and develop means to prevent the formation of both acrylamide and the most toxic Maillard products. Such studies should lead to safer foods.