Szylit O, Ducluzeau R, Champ M, Klein D
Ann Nutr Aliment. 1976;30(5-6):805-12.
Nitrosamines are carcinogenic compounds synthetized from amines and nitrites or nitrates, if nitrates in the reaction medium may be reduced to nitrites. Nitrosation is determined in the digestive tract of several species of laboratory animals. Two physiochemical factors appear to determine in vitro nitrosamine formation: the type of amine and the medium pH. The property of secondary amines to nitrosate is inversely related to amine basicity (checked in vivo), and it increases with the medium acidity. In vitro studies show that different types of bacteria can, even at neutral pH, catalyze nitroamine formation from their precursors. However, the role of digestive tract microbial flora in nitrosamine synthesis in the gut cannot be affirmed due to lack of in vivo studies.
亚硝胺是由胺类与亚硝酸盐或硝酸盐合成的致癌化合物，前提是反应介质中的硝酸盐可被还原为亚硝酸盐。在几种实验动物的消化道中可检测到亚硝化作用。似乎有两个物理化学因素决定体外亚硝胺的形成：胺的类型和介质的pH值。仲胺的亚硝化特性与胺的碱性（在体内检测）呈负相关，并且会随着介质酸度的增加而增强。体外研究表明，即使在中性pH值条件下，不同类型的细菌也能催化其前体形成硝胺。然而，由于缺乏体内研究，消化道微生物群落在肠道亚硝胺合成中的作用尚无法确定。
