GENOTOXICITY OF NITROSATED RED WINE AND OF THE NITROSATABLE PHENOLIC-COMPOUNDS PRESENT IN WINE - TYRAMINE, QUERCETIN AND MALVIDINE-3-GLUCOSIDE

Phenolic compounds and biogenic amines are known to be present in some foodstuffs which become directly genotoxic after nitrosation in vitro . Red wine has previously been shown to be genotoxic and this activity has been attributed mainly to flavonoids. Besides flavonoids, red win e contains a multiplicity of compounds, including biogenic amines. Usi ng the Ames assay and the SOS chromotest, this study has shown that re d wine and some of the nitrosatable molecules present in wine become d irectly genotoxic on nitrosation in vitro : these include the phenolic molecules tyramine, quercetin and malvidine-3-glucoside, whereas phen ylethylamine and histamine were negative on nitrosation. Interestingly , quercetin had been predicted to be negative after nitrosation, using the CASE methodology. The concentrations of these three positive nitr osatable compounds in wine were determined by HPLC. Comparison of thes e concentrations and their respective levels of genotoxicity suggests that the genotoxicity after nitrosation is probably attributable to ot her molecules. It is also possible that synergistic effects may occur between various nitrosatable compounds in wine.