Biogenic Amines (BA)

Biogenic amines are nitrogenous organic bases of low molecular weight with biological functions in animals, plants, microorganisms and humans. Their formation in food is either the result of endogenous amino acids decarboxylase activity in raw food material or the breakdown of free amino acids due to the action of microbial decarboxylase enzymes. Consumption of food containing excessive amounts of these amines can have toxicological implications due to their psychoactive and/or vasoactive properties. Therefore, the control of biogenic amines accumulation in foods during processing and storage is a challenge for the food industry. This book reviews origins, biological importance and human health implications of biogenic amines. Chapter One focus on the occurrence of BAs in different foodstuffs and in the correspondent challenges of their analysis. In Chapter Two, the authors provide an overview and a critical discussion of sample preparation techniques to determine BAs in biological specimens, with special emphasis on microextraction techniques. The advantages and some limitations, as well as how they compare to previously used extraction techniques, are also addressed herein. Chapter Three focuses on the relation of dietary biogenic amines occurrence and associated adverse health effects following consumption of implicated food. In Chapter Four, the authors focus on some food products and the relationship between the presence of BA according to their origin, inducing factors and distinctive characteristics of the technological processes that could control BA production in animal foods, plant foods and beverages. Chapter Five tackles the most important aspects of BA formation during the manufacturing of alcoholic beverages. The significance of BAs is also described from the perspective of microbiological and technological factors. The authors of Chapter Six critically review the latest knowledge, described in studies carried out throughout the world about the occurrence and the food safety issues of BAs in two selected animal originating food sources; that is, fish and dairy products. Moreover, different technological strategies adopted for the prevention of BA accumulation in the abovementioned food products for safety purposes are evaluated. Chapter Seven briefly summarises current knowledge on biogenic amines content in dry-cured and fermented meats and collects data on the factors affecting their formation. The methods for aminogenesis control in dry-cured meats are also described. The aim of Chapter Eight is to identify the origin, biological importance, and human health implications of the serotonin (5-HydroxyTryptamine [5-HT]) in pain. Finally, effects of tyramine (TA) and octopamine (OA) on behaviors and physiology in social insects have been introduced in Chapter Nine.