What is acrolein and why is its presence in food a concern for human health?

Label:chem

Topic
Acrolein (2-propenal) is a reactive carbonyl compound characterized by its α,β-unsaturated aldehyde structure, and it is ubiquitously present in foods, environmental emissions, and even pesticides due to various processes like combustion, microbial activities, and metabolic pathways.
Answer
Acrolein is a significant threat to human health due to its potential to cause a wide range of diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, other neurological disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hepatotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity through both direct and indirect toxicological mechanisms. Directly, its electrophilic nature allows it to interact with cellular nucleophiles, disrupting the functions of proteins, DNA, and RNA, leading to cellular dysfunction. Indirectly, it affects mitochondrial function, induces inflammation, alters immune responses, causes endoplasmic reticulum stress, and disrupts membrane integrity. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified acrolein as a probable human carcinogen (Group 2A).
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