Reducing acrylamide formation in fried potato chips and assessment of the consequent risks

Acrylamide is a toxin that can potentially occur in high concentrations in heated starchy foods especially potato products such as crisps and fries. Acrylamide in processed potato products is formed via the Maillard type reaction between the amino acid aspargine and a carbonyl source such as the reducing sugars glucose and fructose. During cooking acrylamide formation begins to occur at temperatures above 100[degree sign] C and increases up to temperatures of 220[degree sign] C but decreases thereafter due to thermal degradation of the compound. The main objective of this investigation was to study the effect of different pretreatments for frying potato chips on the reduction of acrylamide formation during frying at 180 [degree sign] C. Prior to frying potato chips were soaked in [0.5-1%] solution for 60 min. in one of the following [glycine, lysine, Cacl[2] and Nacl]. Concentration is increased to [2-4%] in case of citric acid. Potato chips were fried using sun flower oil. This study was carried on 36 male albino rats of Sprague-Dawley strain weighing [130 +/- 10 gm] were housed in well aerated wire cages. All animals were kept under normal healthy condition and fed on basal diet for one week for adaptation. After adaptation period, rats were divided into 6 groups [6 rats/group]. Group A [Negative control]: fed on standard diet only. Group B: fed on the basal diet and drinking water treated with 5 mg/l acrylamide. Group C: fed on the basal diet contained 20 mg/kg dietacrylamide. Group D: fed on the basal diet contained 40% fried potato chips. Groups E: fed on the basal diet contained 40% fried potato chips [pretreated with citric acid solution 4% for 60 min. Group F: fed on the basal diet contained 40% potato chips fried in sun flower oil contained 1% extracted rosemary. The experimental period was 6 weeks. The results showed that, rats group fed on basal diet contained 40% fried potato chips without any pretreatments, rats group fed on basal diet and drank water contained 5 mg/l acrylamide and /or fed on diet contained 20 mg/kg diet acrylamide accompanied by alteration in kidney and liver functions. Consequently, results also showed that, the highest dose of acrylamide [20 mg] caused severe symptoms in rats' organs such as, neuronophagia of necrotic neurons of brain, kupffer cells activation of liver, atrophy of glomerular tuft and presence of eosinophilic protein cast in the lumen of renal tubules of kidney, focal necrosis of urothelium and submucosal infiltration with inflammatory cells of urinary bladder but there were no differences or little changes were observed for rats of urinary bladder, but there were no differences or little changes were observed for rats fed on potato chips pretreated with citric aid and/ or fired in sun flower oil contained 1% rosemary extract