A MODEL SYSTEM FOR STUDYING THE ADSORPTION OF A HYDROPHOBIC MUTAGEN TO DIETARY FIBER

The adsorption of 1,8-dinitropyrene (DNP) to α-cellulose has been studied as a model system for examining the adsorption of a hydrophobic mutagen to dietary fiber. Most of the DNP rapidly disappeared from an aqueous solution and partitioned between the glass wall of the test tube and the α-cellulose. Factors affecting DNP distribution included (i) the time of incubation, (ii) the final concentration of the solvent, dimethyl sulphoxide, in which the DNP had been dissolved, and (iii) the relative concentrations of DNP and α-cellulose. We suggest that this model system could be applied to other mutagens, and that α-cellulose would provide a useful standard fiber to permit inter-laboratory comparisons. © 1990.