BACTERIA AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON BIOGENIC AMINES

INTRODUCTION Biogenic amines (BA) are organic compounds (nitrogenous bases) with low molecular weights which can be frequently found in fermented alimentary products such as wine, cheese, etc. The characteristics and biological effects of the BA are very diverse in between them, in that they can have either beneficial or harmful effects on human beings. Some amines, such as putrescine, seem to be indispensable for the cellular growth and proliferation of living organisms. Other BA, such as histamine and tyramine, on the other hand have harmful health effects, or in the case of putrescine, have effects on the organoleptic characteristics of the alimentary products. For this reason their concentration in alimentary products should be very low, or at the least not higher than certain levels (9). In the case of wines, there have been no more than 20 different BA described (20), the most abundant and dangerous of which being histamine, tyramine, phenylethylamine and putrescine, and at lower levels cadaverine and tryptamine (9).