YUAN-JHE CHANGCHIUNG-WEN HUMU-JUNG CHAO2026-10-162026-10-162026-06-01Pure ID: 15007014Pure UUID: 54047faf-e57d-4e77-bcff-a5a88286624210.1016/j.foodchem.2026.149067https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105035372177https://scholars.csmu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/22427Areca nut (AN) chewing is a major risk factor for oral cancer, partly due to carcinogenic areca nut-specific N -nitrosamines (ASNAs). While ASNAs are thought to form via nitrosation of areca nut-specific alkaloids (ASAs) by oral nitrite, their inherent presence in AN products remains unclear. We developed and validated an LC-HRMS method to quantify five ASNAs simultaneously. Thirty-eight AN samples, including raw materials (RMs) and commercial products (CPs) from India, China, and Taiwan, were analyzed. At least one ASNA was detected in all samples (0.39–242 pmol/g), with N -nitrosoguvacoline predominant, followed by N -nitrosoguvacine, 3-(N -nitrosomethylamino)propionitrile, and N -nitrosonipecotic acid; 3-(N -nitrosomethylamino)propanal was not detected. CPs contained higher ASNA levels than RMs, showing up to 133-fold and 272-fold increases in Gutkha and Yanguo , respectively. ASNA levels correlated with ASAs and nitrite (p ' 0.001). These findings suggest that processing or additives enhance ASNA formation through nitrosating agents, emphasizing the need for monitoring to reduce potential risks.enjournal article