Contribution of citrulline to the formation of ethyl carbamate during Chinese rice wine production

Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess. 2014 Apr;31(4):587-92. doi: 10.1080/19440049.2013.878869. Epub 2014 Feb 28.

Abstract

Ethyl carbamate is a well-known carcinogen and widely occurs in Chinese rice wine. To provide more clues to minimise ethyl carbamate accumulation, the levels of possible precursors of ethyl carbamate in Chinese rice wine were investigated by HPLC. Studies of the possible precursors of ethyl carbamate in Chinese raw rice wine with various additives and treatments indicated that significant amounts of urea can account for ethyl carbamate formation. It was also recognised that citrulline is another important precursor that significantly affects ethyl carbamate production during the boiling procedure used in the Chinese rice wine manufacturing process. Besides urea and citrulline, arginine was also found to be an indirect ethyl carbamate precursor due to its ability to form urea and citrulline by microorganism metabolism.

Keywords: Chinese rice wine; citrulline; ethyl carbamate; precursor; urea.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Carcinogens
  • Citrulline / chemistry*
  • Ethanol / chemistry
  • Fermentation
  • Food Contamination
  • Hot Temperature
  • Oryza*
  • Urea / chemistry
  • Urethane / chemistry*
  • Wine / analysis*

Substances

  • Carcinogens
  • Citrulline
  • Urethane
  • Ethanol
  • Urea