Effects of different cooking conditions on the formation of heterocyclic amines in sucuk samples

Cancer threatens the health of people and it is the second most seen death reason after cardiovascular diseases. According to epidiomigological and experimental studies, there is an important relation between nutrition and cancer. Harmful compounds can be formed because of undercooked and stored food. Mutagenic and cancerogenic compounds can be formed after cooking of protein-riched foods such as meat and meat products. Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are one one of the most formed ones. In this thesis, HCA quality and quantity determined in commercially available 10 fermented sucuk samples, which were pan cooked at different cooking results. HCA was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) according to the peaks for IQ, MeIQx ve 4,8-DiMeIQx at DAD detector and for PhIP, norharman ve harman at fluorescence detector. HCA and soluble protein analyses were performed in undercooked, middle cooked and well cooked sucuk samples. Moisture content, ash content, protein content, lipid content and pH analyses were performed in raw sucuk samples. According to the results of HCA analyses, total HCA content of undercooked sucuk samples' was between 0.65 ng/g and 14.84 ng/g, total HCA content of medium cooked sucuk samples' was between 1.52 ng/g and 16.10 ng/g, total HCA content of overcooked sucuk samples' was between 1.83 ng/g ile 17.89 ng/g. Total HCA content of overcooked sucuk samples were higher than the undercooked sucuk samples (P<0.05). Norharman is the most abundant HCA in sucuk samples. Results were evaluated statistically. HCA content of pan fryed sucuk samples were not found on high levels. Key words: heterocyclic amines (HCA), sucuk, HPLC.