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Dietary nicotine: a source of urinary cotinine
R A Davis1, M F Stiles, J D deBethizy
1Biochemical/Biobehavioral R&D, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Winston-Salem, NC 27102.
Summary
Dietary nicotine from foods like tomatoes, potatoes, and teas can be detected in urine. This dietary intake may interfere with using urinary cotinine to accurately estimate exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
Area of Science:
- Environmental chemistry
- Analytical chemistry
- Toxicology
Background:
- Nicotine is primarily associated with tobacco smoke exposure.
- Urinary cotinine is a common biomarker for assessing tobacco smoke exposure.
- Dietary sources of nicotine could potentially confound cotinine measurements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence of nicotine in various foods and teas.
- To assess the potential impact of dietary nicotine on urinary cotinine levels.
- To evaluate the reliability of urinary cotinine as a biomarker for environmental tobacco smoke exposure.
Main Methods:
- Foods (Solanaceae family) and teas were analyzed for nicotine and cotinine.
- Gas chromatography with nitrogen-sensitive detection (GC) and GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) were employed.
- Extraction and analysis methods were standardized for both food and tea samples.
Main Results:
- Nicotine was detected in tomatoes (average 7.3 ng/g) and potatoes (average 15 ng/g).
- Black teas showed variable nicotine content (up to >100 ng/g), while instant teas had the highest levels (up to 285 ng/g).
- Calculated urinary cotinine concentrations from dietary intake ranged from 0.6 to 6.2 ng/ml.
Conclusions:
- Certain foods and teas contain significant levels of nicotine.
- Dietary nicotine intake can lead to detectable urinary cotinine concentrations.
- The presence of dietary nicotine may compromise the accuracy of using urinary cotinine to assess environmental tobacco smoke exposure.