Biogenic amines in selected foods of animal origin obtained from the Croatian retail market

Changes in quality characteristics and biogenic amine contents in beef by cooking methods

This study aimed to evaluate the changes in imported beef loin before and after cooking, depending on cooking methods, through quality characteristics, biogenic amine (BA) content analysis, and electronic tongue system. Sous-vide (SV), characterized by the least cooking loss, exhibited the highest water content at 64.11%. Pan-grilling (PG), air-frying (AF), and IR-grilling (IR) methods showed a range of water content from 46.90 to 54.19%. In the taste results by the electronic tongue, umami and saltiness were higher in the high cooking temperature methods (PG, AF, IR, and combined sous-vide + pan-grilling [SVP]) than SV (p < 0.05). Compared to the control, total BAs concentrations decreased by 67.32% (SV), 64.90% (AF), 62.46% (IR), and 50.64% (PG), and SVP showed the largest decrease of 68.64% (p < 0.05). Therefore, SVP was considered the most effective cooking method for reducing BAs and maintaining the quality characteristics of beef loin.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-024-01650-9.

Investigation of Biogenic Amine Levels and Microbiological Activity as Quality Markers in Some Dairy and Fish Products in Food Markets in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

This study aimed to verify the presence of biogenic amines (BAs) and evaluate the microbiological activity of some food samples collected from retail stores in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A total of thirty-five dairy and fish products were collected and analyzed for BAs, including putrescine (PUT), cadaverine (CAD), spermidine (SPE), histamine (HIS), spermine (SPR), and tyramine (TYR), as well as for total colony count (TCC), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Enterobacteriaceae, yeast and mold (Y and M), coliforms, and aerobic sporulation count (ASF). The thin layer chromatography (TLC) method was used in the analytical methodology to identify the BAs. The results showed the presence of BAs in all dairy products, but their concentration did not exceed the maximum permissible limit, which in contrast was established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at 10 mg/100 g. The amounts of BAs in fish products varied significantly. All fish product samples contained levels of BAs below the permissible limit. Results of an independent study also indicated potential toxicity at levels of BAs (>10 mg/100 g) in Egyptian herring. Enterobacteriaceae and the coli group were present in higher concentrations in the Egyptian herring samples, whereas other samples (particularly frozen shrimp) showed increased TCC levels with a higher concentration of histamine-producing bacteria. From a consumer safety perspective, this study also indicated that food samples generally contained acceptable levels of BAs. In conclusion, there is a need to improve and standardize food quality and hygiene practices during production and storage to ensure human safety and prevent HIS formation.

Heterologous expression and activity verification of ornithine decarboxylase from a wild strain of Shewanella xiamenensis

Shewanella xiamenensis is widely found in spoilage fish, shrimp and other seafoods. Under suitable conditions, ornithine can be synthesized into putrescine, which may spoil food or endanger health. Our research used a wild strain of Shewanella xiamenensis isolated from "Yi Lu Xian" salted fish (a salting method for sea bass) as a research object. According to the database of National Center of Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the target ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) gene SpeF was successfully amplified using the wild strain of Shewanella xiamenensis as the template. Sequencing alignment showed that the SpeF of the wild strain had more than 98% homology compared with the standard strain. The amino acid substitution occurred in the residues of 343, 618, 705, and 708 in the wild strain. After optimizing the expression conditions, a heterologous expression system of ODC was constructed to achieve a high yield of expression. The amount of 253.38 mg of ODC per liter of LB broth was finally expressed. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and subsequent ODC activity verification experiments showed that hetero-expressed ODC showed a certain enzyme activity for about 11.91 ± 0.38 U/mg. Our study gives a new way to the development of a low-cost and high-yield strategy to produce ODC, providing experimental materials for further research and elimination of putrescine in food hazards.

Capture-SELEX: Selection Strategy, Aptamer Identification, and Biosensing Application

Small-molecule contaminants, such as antibiotics, pesticides, and plasticizers, have emerged as one of the substances most detrimental to human health and the environment. Therefore, it is crucial to develop low-cost, user-friendly, and portable biosensors capable of rapidly detecting these contaminants. Antibodies have traditionally been used as biorecognition elements. However, aptamers have recently been applied as biorecognition elements in aptamer-based biosensors, also known as aptasensors. The systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) is an in vitro technique used to generate aptamers that bind their targets with high affinity and specificity. Over the past decade, a modified SELEX method known as Capture-SELEX has been widely used to generate DNA or RNA aptamers that bind small molecules. In this review, we summarize the recent strategies used for Capture-SELEX, describe the methods commonly used for detecting and characterizing small-molecule-aptamer interactions, and discuss the development of aptamer-based biosensors for various applications. We also discuss the challenges of the Capture-SELEX platform and biosensor development and the possibilities for their future application.

Development of a High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD) Method for Determination of Biogenic Amines in Ripened Cheeses

Biogenic amines (BAs) are organic, basic nitrogenous compounds formed during the decarboxylation of amino acids. A method for the determination of eight biogenic amines (tryptamine, 2-phenyletylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine, spermine) in ripened cheeses was developed and validated. Cheese samples with the addition of internal standards were extracted with 0.2 M perchloric acid and pre-column derivatized with dansyl chloride at 60 °C for 15 min, purified with toluene and dried under a stream of nitrogen. The samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The method was validated with the BAs at three concentration levels: 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, respectively. The obtained values of correlation coefficient (R2) ranged at 0.9997−0.9998 for all of compounds. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were in ranges 1.53−1.88 and 5.13−6.28 mg/kg, respectively. The recovery for all of biogenic amines ranged from 70 to 120% and the precision (RSDr) value were <20%. The validated method was applied to analysis of 35 real ripened cheese samples purchased in Poland.

The Application of Polyurethane-LiClO4 to Modify Screen-Printed Electrodes Analyzing Histamine in Mackerel Using a Voltammetric Approach

Histamine is an important substance that can be applied as a parameter for allergic reactions and food freshness. This study develops a method to produce a histamine sensor based on electrodes modified using polyurethane-LiClO₄. A sensor method was developed where this sensor was produced from polyurethane. The application of 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (hard compound) and palm kernel oil-based monoester polyol (soft compound) to produce polyurethane (PU) based on bio-polyol. The addition of lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄) was done in order to increase the conductivity of PU. The oxidation process was detected using cyclic voltammetry, whereas the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to analyze the conductivity of the polymer. The polyurethane-LiClO₄ was attached on a screen-printed electrode (SPE) within 45 min. Moreover, the 1% LiClO₄-PU-SPE presented satisfactory selectivity for the detection of histamine in the pH 7.5 solution. The LiClO₄-PU-SPE presented a good correlation coefficient (R = 0.9991) in the range 0.015-1 mmol·L^-1. The detection limit was 0.17 mmol·L^-1. Moreover, the histamine concentration of mackerel samples was detected by the PU-SEP-LiClO₄. Several amine compounds were chosen to study the selectivity of histamine detection using SPE-PU-LiClO₄. The interference was from several major interfering compounds such as aniline, cadaverine, hexamine, putrescine, and xanthine. The technique showed a satisfactory selective analysis compared to the other amines. A satisfactory recovery performance toward varying concentrations of histamine was obtained at 94 and 103% for histamine at 0.01 and 0.1 mmol·L^-1, respectively. The application of PU-SEP-LiClO₄ as an electrochemical sensor has a great prospect to analyze histamine content in fish mackerel as a consequence of PU-SEP-LiClO₄ having good selectivity and simplicity.

Biogenic Amine Content in Retailed Cheese Varieties Produced with Commercial Bacterial or Mold Cultures

Biogenic amines (BAs) are considered a potential microbiological toxicological hazard in aged cheese. Risk mitigation strategies include good hygiene practice measures, thermal treatment of milk and the use of competitive dairy cultures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the amount of BAs—tryptamine, β-phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine and spermine—in the core and rind of cheeses ripened by bacteria (n = 61) and by mold cultures (n = 8). The microbial communities were counted, and the dominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were identified, corresponding to the BA concentrations. The total BA content was highest in the core of semi-hard cheeses (353.98 mg/kg), followed by mold cheeses (248.99 mg/kg) and lowest in hard cheeses (157.38 mg/kg). The highest amount of BAs was present in the rind of cheeses with mold (240.52 mg/kg), followed by semi-hard (174.99 mg/kg) and hard cheeses (107.21 mg/kg). Tyramine was the most abundant BA, represented by 75.4% in mold cheeses, 41.3% in hard cheese and 35% of total BAs in semi-hard cheeses. Histamine was present above the defined European maximum level (ML) of 100 mg/kg in only two semi-hard and three hard cheeses. High amount of BAs (above 600 mg/kg) in cheeses, mainly tyramine, were associated with the presence of Enterococcus durans, while negligible BA concentrations were found in cheeses ripened with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis or Lacticaseibacillus paracasei cultures. This study has shown that retailed cheese varieties produced with commercial bacterial or mold cultures have acceptable levels of biogenic amines with respect to consumers.

Levels of biogenic amines in cheese: correlation to microbial status, dietary intakes, and their health risk assessment

Biogenic amines (BAs) are natural toxicants produced during the metabolism of their precursor amino acids or due to the proteolytic activities of some microorganisms. The objective of this study was to estimate the formed BAs in five types of the most commonly consumed and retailed cheese in Egypt. The examined cheese types included Feta, Karish, Mozzarella, Rumy, and Mish. Besides, the total mesophilic (TMC) and total psychrophilic (TPsC) bacterial counts were investigated. Furthermore, the estimated daily intakes (EDI) of BAs via the ingestion of various types of cheese were calculated, and their potential health risks were discussed. The achieved results indicated the formation of histamine (HIS), tyramine (TYR), cadaverine (CAD), putrescine, spermine, and spermidine at different concentrations. Except for Feta cheese, all samples (100%) of other cheese types had HIS concentrations higher than the established maximum permissible limits. Mish cheese contained the highest concentrations of total BAs, particularly, HIS, TYR, and CAD. TBA content showed significant positive correlations with TMC in the examined cheese types. The recorded EDI values of the different BAs in the current study would not have adverse effects. However, excessive consumption of cheese contaminated with BA might have serious health implications such as symptoms of histamine poisoning. Therefore, the adoption of strict hygienic measures during the production, storage, and distribution of cheese is highly recommended to reduce the formation of BAs in cheese.