N-nitroso compounds and their precursors in Brassica oleracea.

In the present study, Brassica a dried green vegetable from Kashmir, which is a major constituent of the local diet, was analysed for nitrosatable aliphatic amines, N-nitrosamines prior to and after nitrosation) and alkylating activity due to N-nitrosamides following nitrosation. The cooked vegetable contained 11 micrograms/kg nitrosodimethylamine and 21 micrograms/kg nitrosopyrrolidine. Nitrosation under chemical conditions yielded 1200 micrograms/kg N-methylnitrosourea.