Detection of p‑Nitroaniline Released from Degradation of 4,4′-Dinitrocarbanilide in Chicken Breast during Thermal Processing

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 67; no. 32; pp. 9002 - 9008
• Main Authors: Bacila, Danniele Miranda, Cunha, Anildo, Gressler, Vanessa, Scheuermann, Gerson Neudí, Coldebella, Arlei, Caron, Luizinho, Igarashi-Mafra, Luciana, Feddern, Vivian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 14-08-2019
• Subjects: Aniline Compounds - chemistry; Aniline Compounds - metabolism; Animals; Carbanilides - chemistry; Carbanilides - metabolism; Chickens - metabolism; Coccidiostats - chemistry; Coccidiostats - metabolism; Cooking; Drug Residues - chemistry; Drug Residues - metabolism; Hot Temperature; Meat - analysis; Nicarbazin - chemistry; Nicarbazin - metabolism; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; LC-MS/MS; poultry; p-NA; DNC; cooking method; nicarbazin; heat treatment; chicken fillet; NA
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b02259

The diphenylurea 4,4′-dinitrocarbanilide (DNC) is the residue of concern left in edible tissues of broilers fed diets containing the anticoccidial nicarbazin. When chicken meat is submitted to thermal processing, p-nitroaniline (p-NA) is expected from DNC degradation. This work aimed at evaluating whether thermal processing of DNC-containing chicken meat induces p-NA appearance. First, a hydrolysis assay was performed in aqueous solutions at 100 °C in different pH, confirming that DNC cleavage yields p-NA. Then a novel LC-MS/MS method was used to detect traces of this aromatic amine in DNC-containing chicken breast fillets subjected to cooking methods. Our evidence showed p-NA occurrence in such chicken meat samples, which corroborated results from hydrolysis assay. The p-NA appearance in fillets was rather discrete during boiling treatment, but its concentration became pronounced over time for grilling, frying, and roasting, achieving respectively 326.3, 640.0, and 456.9 μg/kg. As far as we are concerned, no other research identified degradation products from DNC residue in heat-processed chicken fillets. Therefore, this study leads to additional approaches to assess impacts on food safety.