Search Results (155)

Biogenic amines (BAs) are frequently detected in seafood products, wines, and fermented foods, and they pose potential risks to human health. The current study analyzed the concentrations of five common BAs in seafood, fermented food, and complementary food for infants and children (fish sausage, canned complementary food for infants containing fish and shrimp ingredients, and fish floss) in China and estimated the acute health risks of histamine (HIS) from fermented foods in Chinese consumers. Among all the samples analyzed, HIS exhibited the highest detection rate (51.9%), followed by PUT (50.1%), and the detection rate of TRY (12.5%) was the lowest. The total average concentration of the five BAs across major food categories revealed that fermented bean curd had the highest total concentration of BAs (816.8 mg/kg), followed by shrimp (383.2 mg/kg) and cheese (328.0 mg/kg). In contrast, samples of complementary food for infants and children contained the lowest concentrations of BAs; the total average concentration of the five BAs was 12.0 mg/kg. The point assessment results showed that acute dietary exposure to HIS was highest from cheese (76.2 mg/d), followed by fermented bean products (74.5 mg/d). Furthermore, the probability assessment indicated that the probability of acute health risks from exposure to HIS was 0.44% for fermented bean product consumers and 0.014% for cheese consumers, respectively. Thus, for the general consumer, the probability of acute health risks caused by HIS in seafood and fermented foods is low. However, individuals with high consumption of cheese and fermented bean products may need to be concerned. Full article

Biogenic amines (BA) are simple organic bases of low molecular weight, formed during decarboxylation of amino acids. Ripened cheeses provide suitable conditions for the development of bacteria and production of BAs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of eight BAs in ripened cheese samples (n = 125) using a high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Furthermore, microbiological analyses towards identification of bacteria using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation—time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) were performed. Cadaverine and putrescine were detected in 28.0% and 20.8% of cheese samples at concentrations ranging from 6.12 to 2871 mg/kg and 5.74 to 441 mg/kg, respectively. High amounts of putrescine and cadaverine in cheeses were associated with the presence of Hafnia alvei. Tyramine was identified in 28.0% of samples in the concentration range of 5.62–646 mg/kg. High concentrations of this amine was found in cheeses containing Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis. Histamine content, the only BA restricted in food according to Regulation 2073/2005, was observed above 100 mg/kg in 11.2% of the cheeses. Ripened cheeses available on the local retail market may contain significant levels of biogenic amines and may pose a potential health hazard to consumers. Full article

Histamine (HIM) and tyramine (TYM) are among the most toxic biogenic amines (BAs) commonly found in various fermented soybean foods, yet the crucial BAs-producing strains are ignored. This study discussed and compared the effectiveness of two methods based on medium pH screening and target gene amplification for identifying HIM- and TYM-producing strains from two fermented soybean foods. The crucial strains responsible for HIM and TYM formation were identified and then characterized. It was found that the strains forming large amounts of total BAs promoted a high pH at the final medium, but there was no correlation between TYM/HIM formation and the pH value among the isolates. Furthermore, a large portion of isolates that produce TYM/HIM cannot be amplified. The hdc and tdc genes utilized reported universal pairs of primers, resulting in false negative results. Following two rounds of screening, most TYM/HIM-producing strains were found to belong to Bacillus. Bacillus cereus-HT-31-2 and Millerozyma farinosa-HT-42-1 were identified as crucial producers of TYM and HIM in soy sauce during the fermentation stage, while Proteus mirabilis-T-24-2 was found to be the key producer of TYM in thua nao. Moreover, the simulated medium was found to be beneficial for the formation of TYM/HIM by B. cereus-HT-31-2 and P. mirabilis-T-24-2, but not for M. farinosa-HT-42-1. The formation of TYM/HIM was not synchronized under different conditions. This study provides insights into the key strain responsible for the formation of HIM and TYM in fermented soybean foods. Full article

Traditional meat products are renowned for their distinctive flavor and palatability. Nevertheless, the safety of meat products produced by cottage industries remains a matter of concern, especially regarding the content of biogenic amines (BAs) and overall quality. Currently, limited published data exist on these aspects. This study aimed to assess the levels of BAs and key quality index in 41 traditional meat products sourced from China. The analysis revealed that all samples contained measurable levels of total biogenic amines, with concentrations ranging from 11.76 mg/kg to 1632.24 mg/kg. The nitrite content and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) value of some samples exceeded the standard and normal range. The findings indicate that BAs levels, TBARS values, and nitrite residues of the tested meat products surpassed toxicity thresholds outlined by various regulatory bodies, emphasizing the critical need for enhanced control measures to mitigate biogenic amine content, TBARS, and nitrite residues in meat products. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of adding the autochthonous cultures Limosilactobacillus mucosae CNPC007 (LM) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CNPC003 (LP), originally isolated from goat milk and goat cheese, respectively, on microbiological safety, microbiota composition (analyzed through 16S rRNA gene metataxonomic sequencing), and biogenic amine (BA) production in artisanal goat (coalho) cheese made from raw or pasteurized milk during 60 days of ripening at 10 °C. Six types of cheese were produced, varying in milk treatment (raw or pasteurized) and the presence or absence of LP or LM cultures. Adding either LP or LM significantly modulated the microbiota, favoring Streptococcus dominance and reducing overall bacterial diversity compared to non-inoculated cheeses. Raw milk cheeses with added autochthonous cultures exhibited a microbial profile like pasteurized cheeses, suggesting a homogenizing effect on the microbiome. Both cultures effectively reduced microbial load in raw milk cheeses after 20 days, reaching levels comparable to pasteurized cheeses by the end of ripening. Although BA concentrations increased over time, all samples remained within safe limits. Cheeses with LP addition exhibited lower BA levels, suggesting a modulating effect on their biosynthesis. Histamine concentrations were higher in raw milk cheeses with added cultures but remained well below hazardous levels. These findings suggest that incorporating either LP or LM strains is a promising strategy for enhancing the microbial safety and standardization of artisanal goat cheese while preserving its traditional characteristics. Full article

In this study, a method for the determination of eight biogenic amines (BAs), including tyramine (Tyr), 2-phenylethylamine (2-Phe), histamine (His), tryptamine (Trp), spermidine (Spd), spermine (Spm), cadaverine (Cad), and putrescine (Put), in crab was established using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), using a magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) pretreatment, without derivatization, and the content changes in regard to these eight biogenic amines in the traditional Chinese dish, pickled swimming crabs, were investigated. The samples were purified via MSPE, using C nanofiber-coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@C-NFs) as sorbents. The experimental variables involved in the MSPE, including the solution pH, adsorption and desorption time, adsorbent usage, and type and volume of the eluent, were investigated and optimized. Method validation indicated that the developed method showed good linearity (R² > 0.995); the average recovery rates were 84.7% to 115%, with the intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSD, n = 6) ranging from 3.7% to 7.5% and 4.2% to 7.7%, respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for the eight BAs were 0.1 mg/kg~1.0 mg/kg and 0.3 mg/kg~3.0 mg/kg, respectively. Finally, this method was applied to determine the changes in the eight biogenic amines in pickled swimming crabs (Portunus trituberculatus) during storage at 20 °C and 400 BAC. Among the BAs evaluated, Cad, Put, and Tyr were the predominant amines formed during storage. The final content of Cad, Put, and Tyr reached 22.9, 20.1, and 29.0 mg/100 g at 4 °C for 16 d, and 47.1, 52.3, and 72.0 mg/100 g at 20 °C for 96 h, respectively. The results from this study can be used to expand the application range of magnetic materials in biogenic amine pretreatment and to strengthen the quality control of the traditional Chinese dish, pickled swimming crabs. Full article

Two typical fish products—fermented mandarin fish and semi-dried yellow croaker—are associated with biogenic amines (BAs), which are harmful to human health. The objective of this study was to investigate the bacterial ecology of the two fish products and to determine their capacity for producing BAs. Putrescine and cadaverine were major BAs detected in the fish products. Concentrations of BAs were significantly corrected with microbial count (p < 0.05). BA-producing isolates (33) in the two fish products were all multiple BA producers. Several of them, including Lactobacillus sakei, Bacillus cereus and Hafnia alvei isolated from fermented mandarin fish, as well as Shewanella baltica, Aeromonas veronii, and Photobacterium phosphoreum isolated from semi-dried yellow croaker, showed remarkable BA-producing capacity. Hafnia alvei produced the greatest abundance of putrescine, cadaverine, tyramine and 2-phenylethylamine. Lactobacillus sakei mainly produced tryptamine and putrescine. Photobacterium phosphoreum showed the strongest histamine-producing capacity. Full article

(1) Background: Xinjiang smoked horsemeat sausage is a popular food; however, bio-genic amine (BA) production is a concern for food safety. (2) Methods: the present study selected the three most toxic BAs for food safety (histamine, tyramine, and putrescine) and determined the bacteria that produce them. (3) Results: After 24 h of incubation, fifteen isolated strains, especially Enterobacter ludwigii MT705841 and Enterobacter bugandensis MT705832 produced putrescine (485.52 μg/mL and 408.95 μg/mL, respectively, p < 0.05); eight isolated strains, especially Proteus vulgaris MT705833 and Bacillus subtilis MT705839 produced histamine (63.86 μg/mL and 30.40 μg/mL, respectively, p < 0.05); and 14 isolated strains, especially Staphylococcus saprophyticus MT705831 and Proteus penneri MT705835 produced tyramine (482.26 μg/mL and 497.76 μg/mL, respectively, p > 0.05). Artemisia oil moderately inhibited P. vulgaris MT705833 and B. subtilis MT705839 after 48 h of in vitro incubation, decreasing histamine production by 44.83% and 47.92% for these two bacteria after 24 h and 20 h of incubation, respectively. Cinnamon oil strongly inhibited putrescine production by E. bugandensis MT705832 and E. ludwigii MT705841, decreasing production by 96.63% and 92.03% for these two bacteria after 24 h of incubation, respectively. Grapeseed oil slightly inhibited P. penneri MT705835 tyramine production (only after 4 h of incubation) and had an unstable inhibitory effect on Citrobacter freundii MT705836 tyramine production. (4) Conclusions: the results of this study suggest that cinnamon oil can be an effective food additive for the prevention of BA production in Xinjiang smoked sausages. Full article

Mao-tofu is famous for its unique flavour and texture in Anhui Province, China. The physicochemical properties and microbial diversity of Mao-tofu during different fermentation periods were studied. The pH of the tofu was acidic, the moisture gradually decreased, and the hardness, viscosity, and chewiness gradually increased, while the elasticity gradually decreased. Among these, changes in volatiles and synergistic effects of proteins, peptides, and free amino acids (FAAs) affect the flavour of Mao-tofu. Histamine had the highest concentration among all biogenic amine (BA) during the whole fermentation process. A microbial community analysis showed that Lactobacillus and Trichosporon were the most important strains throughout the fermentation process. Bacterial abundance and diversity also showed a gradual increase, while fungal abundance and diversity showed a gradual decrease. A comprehensive analysis of the physicochemical changes associated with microbial succession can help to gain insights into the maturation process of texture and flavour during the production of Mao-tofu. Full article

This study investigated the effects of enzyme-assisted low-temperature cold fermentation on sufu’s microbial diversity, biogenic amine (BA) formation, and physicochemical properties. The results showed that the enzyme-assisted fermentations for both room- and low-temperature groups (RTEF30 and LTEF20, respectively) significantly increased total acid (TA), amino nitrogen (NH3-N), and enzyme activity compared to the non-enzyme fermentation at room-temperature post-fermentation (RTNF30). This indicated that enzyme-assisted fermentation effectively overcame challenges associated with low-temperature fermentation of sufu. BA analysis revealed that the LTEF20 group had the highest total BA (3.7 mg/g) and putrescine (1.8 mg/g) levels compared to other groups. Microbial analysis showed that the LTEF20 group exhibited higher microbial diversity compared to the RTEF30 group. They had the highest levels of Enterobacteriaceae (0.4131) and lactic acid bacteria in the early and late phases (0.5556) among the groups. Correlation analysis revealed significant links between sufu’s physicochemical properties and microbial communities. Notably, putrescine positively correlated with Bifidobacterium, while TA negatively correlated with Enterococcus. These findings suggest that microbial activity alterations, caused by low-temperature cold fermentation, influences sufu’s fermentation process and quality, guiding further studies on the regulation of biogenic amine formation. Full article

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of dried apple pomace (DAP) on the fermentation characteristics and proteolysis of alfalfa silages. The alfalfa was ensiled with (1) no additives (control), (2) 5% DAP, (3) 10% DAP and (4) 15% DAP based on fresh weight (FW) for 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days, respectively. With the increasing proportion of DAP, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count, lactic acid (LA) and dry matter (DM) content linearly (p < 0.05) increased, while the pH, the content of acetic acid (AA), propionic acid (PA), butyric acid (BA) and ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) linearly (p < 0.05) decreased during ensiling. The 10% and 15% DAP silages had significantly (p < 0.05) lower aerobic bacteria (AB), yeast and enterobacteria counts than the control during ensiling. The contents of nonprotein nitrogen (NPN), peptide nitrogen (peptide-N) and free amino acid nitrogen (FAA-N) and activities of carboxypeptidase, aminopeptidase and acid proteinase linearly (p < 0.05) decreased as DAP proportion increased during ensiling. On day 60, the addition of DAP significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the contents of tryptamine, phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine, spermine and total biogenic amines compared with the control. As the DAP ratio increased, the contents of threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, lysine, histidine, arginine, aspartic acid, serine, glutamic, total amino acids, crude protein (CP) and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) linearly (p < 0.05) increased, while the contents of glycine, alanine, cysteine, and proline linearly (p < 0.05) decreased on day 60. Overall, the addition of 15% DAP was optimal as indicated by better fermentation quality and less proteolysis than other treatments. Full article

Sufu is a traditional Chinese condiment with a distinctive flavor. The umami characteristics are primarily attributed to the hydrolysis of proteins, which produces amino acids and biogenic amines (BAs). Excessive levels of BAs can pose health risks, leading to adverse effects, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and abnormal blood pressure. However, the mechanisms leading to the formation of BAs in fermented bean curd remain insufficiently explored. To explore this phenomenon, an analysis was conducted on the texture, physicochemical properties, and BA content dynamic changes of sufu, fermented with Mucor racemosus, at different intervals, by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). During the fermentation process, the total biogenic amines exhibited a downward trend, with levels decreasing from 60.66 to 38.19 mg/kg. Spermidine, spermine, and cadaverine were identified as the main biogenic amines produced during the fermentation process. At 0 h and 24 h, spermidine levels significantly decreased (p < 0.05), but no significant differences were observed at 48 h and 72 h. At 96 h, spermidine levels significantly decreased again (p < 0.05). There was a positive relationship between the bioamines and water content and a negative correlation with soluble protein levels. Additionally, low pH inhibits the formation of BAs, while a soft texture was found to increase their production. The results of this study also confirmed the mechanism of BAs formation. These findings offer valuable insights into the safety and quality control of Mouding sufu by clarifying the BA dynamics during pre-fermentation. Full article

Smear-ripened cheeses are fermented dairy products characterised by an increased content of biogenic amines (BAs). The high contents of these bioactive compounds can negatively affect consumers. The study aimed to observe the contents of BAs and po-lyamines (PAs) in Olomoucké tvarůžky cheeses depending on selected factors (year, batch, ripening/storage time, shape, weight, specific surface area, acidity, and salt content). The results showed that the variability was explained primarily by the batch (83% for the sum of BAs) and by the year (63% for the sum of PAs). The storage time significantly influenced the contents of putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, and spermine (the explained variability was only 1–3%). The total BA contents negatively correlated with weight (r = −0.6374; p < 0.001) and positively with specific surface area (r = +0.4349; p < 0.001). A negligible positive correlation coefficient was found between the total BAs and pH (r = +0.1303). A low negative correlation was also found between the total BAs and salt content (r = −0.1328). Compared to previous studies, the total average BA contents were considerably low. In conclusion, this type of cheese does not represent a serious problem for most consumers. Full article

To avoid carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, liquid smoke flavoring (LSF) is widely used by the meat industry, yet wood smoking remains a deep-rooted practice among Portuguese traditional dry-fermented producers. In this study, the use of LSF was compared with traditional smoking. In addition, two different ways of using LSF were also tested: spraying and mixing (during seasoning). The profiles of amino acids (AA) and biogenic amines (BA) were studied at pre-scheduled moments of processing and storage. When compared to smoked products, LSF did not affect total AA content; however, when mixed during seasoning, it inhibited the accumulation of arginine and lysine (precursors of BA) in final products. The conventional smoking replacement, by mixing LSF during seasoning, turned out to be critical to lessen BA of bacterial origin accumulation as well, especially for putrescine, cadaverine and tyramine. The benefits of spraying LSF over smoking were higher for final products than for storage, as differences between them tended to fade with time (except for tyramine). These results also demonstrate that a simple change in traditional dry-fermented sausage processing, such as mixing LSF during product seasoning, significantly contributes to the safety of these products through the reduction in undesirable BA. Full article

In the current study, a comprehensive analysis of biogenic amines in white brined cheeses was conducted. BAs may accumulate in food in high concentrations via the activities of microorganisms that produce decarboxylation enzymes. Neither tryptamine, phenylethylamine, nor spermidine was detected in the monitored cheese samples. Biogenic amines were detected in 20 samples, with tyramine and spermine being the most abundant, particularly in Feta cheeses, where tyramine concentrations exceeded 100 mg/kg in three samples. In 25% of the tested cheeses, total concentration of all the monitored biogenic amines and polyamines exceeded the level of 100 mg/kg, which may be considered of toxicological significance to sensitive persons. Decarboxylase activity was identified in 94 isolates, including significant producers such as Levilactobacillus brevis and Enterococcus durans. The correlation between high total microbial counts and lactic acid bacteria suggests that these microorganisms play a critical role in biogenic amine production. Our findings highlight the importance of monitoring specific microbial populations to mitigate biogenic amine risks in cheese production. Full article