Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of smoked meat from Nagaland, a region of India prone to a high incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer

The incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) in the north-easternpart of India is reported to be high. A possible correlationbetween consumption of smoked meat by the tribal people andhigh suceptibility to NPC has been postulated. The charred portionof smoked beef and meat of other animals was collected fromthis area, extracted with acetone and the extract (SME) wastested using the Ames test as well as for chromosomal aberrationin mouse bone marrow cells and carcinogenicity using Swiss baremice. It was oberved that SME was mutagenic in all five strainsof Salmonella typhimurium (TA98, TA1538, TA100, TA1535 and TA1537),with or without S9 mix, and was clastogenic in a mammalian testsystem. SME also has the potential to induce skin papillomaas well as systemic tumours in Swiss bare mice. Chemical analysisof SME revealed the presence of low concentrations of volatilenitrosamines.