TITLE:
Bioactive Amines: Aspects of Quality and Safety in Food
AUTHORS:
Mariana Bacellar Ribas Rodriguez, Carla da Silva Carneiro, Marcia Barreto da Silva Feijó, Carlos Adam Conte Júnior, Sérgio Borges Mano
KEYWORDS:
Bioactive Amines; Detection Methods; Toxicity; Acceptable Limits; Food Quality
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.5 No.2,
January
16,
2014
ABSTRACT:
Presented in several types of food, bioactive
amines are described as organic bases of low molecular weight. They have
vasoactive, psychoactive and toxicological characteristics and constitute a
potential health risk. The concentration of amines formed in foods depends on
the type of microorganisms present, the action of decarboxylase enzymes
produced by microorganisms on specific amino acids and favorable conditions for
enzymatic activity. The presence of these chemical metabolites has been
suggested as a quality indicator in routine analyzes for food production and
marketing monitoring. The detection of bioactive amines can be performed by
chromatographic methods, fluorometric and enzymatic kits. Bioactive amine
formation can be prevented mainly through the adoption of good manufacturing
practices, but the industry can also use other methods such as temperature
control in the production chain, modified atmosphere packaging and food
irradiation. This review aims to address the formation of bioactive amines in
foods, emphasizing the formation and classification of these metabolites,
aspects related to health, acceptable limits, detection methods and control
methods used in the industry to ensure food safety and quality. The success of
this approach is linked to the importance of bioactive amines as quality
indicators, as well as the discussion on the development of methodologies for
determining these substances and discussion of acceptable parameters in food.