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. 2022 Jan 10;19(2):736.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19020736.

Bioaccessibility of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Grilled Meat: The Effects of Meat Doneness and Fat Content

Elliyana Nadia Hamidi  1 , Parvaneh Hajeb  2 , Jinap Selamat  3   4 , Soo Yee Lee  5 , Ahmad Faizal Abdull Razis  3   4   5
Affiliations

Bioaccessibility of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Grilled Meat: The Effects of Meat Doneness and Fat Content

Elliyana Nadia Hamidi et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) through diet is gaining concern due to the risk it poses to human health. This study evaluated the bioaccessibility of PAHs contained in charcoal-grilled beef and chicken in different segments of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) with regard to the degree of doneness and fat content of the meats. The levels of 15 PAHs in the grilled meat samples and bioaccessible fractions were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with PAH column, and UV and fluorescence detectors. Total PAHs were found in beef (30.73 ng/g) and chicken (70.93 ng/g) before its digestion, and different PAHs' bioaccessibility were observed in the different segments of GIT, with the highest in the stomach followed by the small intestine, despite the relatively higher bioaccessibility of individual PAHs in grilled beef as compared to those in grilled chicken. Additionally, the PAHs' bioaccessibility increased with the increase in the degree of doneness. Positive linear correlation was observed for the PAHs' bioaccessibility and the fat contents of grilled meat. Overall, this study highlights the influence of meat doneness (cooking time) and fat contents on the bioaccessibility and bioaccumulation of PAHs.

Keywords: bioaccessibility; fat content; grilled meat; meat doneness; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
HPLC/UV-FLD chromatograms of PAHs’ standard mixture. The PAHs were detected at four different channels of the fluorescence detector; (a) Channel A: λex = 246 nm, λem = 488 nm; (b) Channel B: λex = 276 nm, λem = 330 nm; (c) Channel C: λex = 296 nm, λem = 400 nm; (d) Channel D: λex = 340 nm, λem = 425 nm. Red line showed the detected PAHs.
Figure 1
Figure 1
HPLC/UV-FLD chromatograms of PAHs’ standard mixture. The PAHs were detected at four different channels of the fluorescence detector; (a) Channel A: λex = 246 nm, λem = 488 nm; (b) Channel B: λex = 276 nm, λem = 330 nm; (c) Channel C: λex = 296 nm, λem = 400 nm; (d) Channel D: λex = 340 nm, λem = 425 nm. Red line showed the detected PAHs.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Bioaccessibility (%) of PAHs in rare, medium and well-done grilled beef samples in different parts of digestive system. Different letter indicates significant difference in PAH’s bioavailability among the different parts of the digestive system. Ace, acenaphthene; Phe, phenanthrene; A, anthracene; P, pyrene; B(k)F, benzo(k)fluoranthene; B(a)P, benzo(a)pyrene.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Bioaccessibility (%) of PAHs in rare, medium and well-done grilled chicken samples in different parts of digestive system. Different letter indicates significant difference in PAH’s bioavailability among the different parts of the digestive system. Ace, acenaphthene; Phe, phenanthrene; A, anthracene; P, pyrene; B(k)F, benzo(k)fluoranthene; B(a)P, benzo(a)pyrene.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Bioaccessibility (%) of PAHs in grilled beef at different degrees of doneness in mouth, stomach and small intestine. Different letter indicates significant differences in bioavailability of PAHs in grilled beef of different doneness. Ace, acenaphthene; Phe, phenanthrene; A, anthracene; P, pyrene; B(k)F, benzo(k)fluoranthene; B(a)P, benzo(a)pyrene.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Bioaccessibility (%) of PAHs in grilled chicken at different degrees of doneness in mouth, stomach and small intestine. Different letter indicates significant differences in bioavailability of PAHs in grilled chicken of different doneness. Ace, acenaphthene; Phe, phenanthrene; A, anthracene; P, pyrene; B(k)F, benzo(k)fluoranthene; B(a)P, benzo(a)pyrene.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Fat content (%) of rare, medium and well-done grilled beef and chicken samples. Similar letter indicates no significant differences.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Relationship between the bioaccessibility of PAHs and the fat content in (a) grilled beef and (b) grilled chicken samples.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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