Histamine-forming bacteria

Okuzumi et al. (1984) studied histamine-forming bacteria in addition to other N-group (psychrophilic halophilic, histamine-forming) bacteria in and... 

Salt concentrations of up to 2% have been shown to be ineffective in preventing the growth of Morganella morganii and Klebsiella pneumonia. Higher concentrations of salt (3.5 to 5.5%) could inhibit the histamine production of some histamine-forming bacteria. In one study, the degree of inhibition of bacteria stored for five weeks at 5°C showed a linear relationship with the concentration of salt. 

Bermejo, A., Mondaca, M.A., Roeckel, M., and Marti, M.C. (2003). Growth and Characterization of the histamine-forming bacteria of Jack mackerel (Trachiirus symmetricus). J. Food Process. Preserv., 26, 401 14. 

Lopez-Sabater, E., Rodriguez-Jerez, J.J., Hernandez-Herrero, M. and Mora-Ventura, M.T. (1996). Incidence of histamine-forming bacteria and histamine content in scombroid fish species from retail markets in the Barcelona area, Int. J. Food... 

Clostridium perfringens. Several isolates were used to determine if histamine-forming bacteria could grow and if whole cell suspensions could decarboxylate histidine at low temperatures. At 4 C Klebsiella pneumoniae grew in skipjack infusion broth and its resting cells produced histamine from histidine. 

Table II. Growth of Histamine-forming Bacteria at 4°C in Tuna Fish...

Fermented sardine with rice bran is a traditional Japanese foods produced in a barrel for a period of 6 months to 1 year. In a study by Yatsunami et al. (1994), an increase in the numbers of halotolerant and halophilic histamineforming bacteria from 10 -10 /g to 10 -10 /g after 6 months was observed. Putrescine, histamine, and tyramine content also had a considerable increase in the same time period. The isolates of halotolerant and halophilic histamine-forming bacteria from the raw sardines were identified as Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Vibrio, Pseudomonas III/IV NH, and Pseudomonas IIEIV-H. The isolates from fermented sardine with rice-bran after 6 months were identified as Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, and Vibrio. 

Frank, H. A. (1985). Histamine-forming bacteria in tuna and other marine fish. In Histamine in Marine Products Production of Bacteria, Measurement and Prediction of Formation (B. S. Pan, and D. James, Eds.), pp. 2-3. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 252. 

Omura, Y., Price, R. J., and Olcott, H. S. (1978). Histamine-forming bacteria isolated from spoiled tuna and jack mackerel. J. Food ScL 43, 1779-1781. 

Yatsunami. K., Takenaka, T., and Echigo, T. (1994). Changes in the number of halotolerant histamine-forming bacteria and contents of non-volatile amines in meat during processing of fermented sardine with rice-bran. Nipp. Shok. Kogyo Gakk. 41(11), 840-843. 

An alternative pathway of histamine metabolism involves oxidative deamination by the enzyme diamine oxidase (histaminase) to form 5-imidazoleacetic acid. Diamine oxidase is present in both tissues and blood and plays a particular role in metabolizing the large concentrations of histamine that may be present in food. An additional metabolite, A-acetyl histamine (a conjugate of acetic acid and histamine), can be produced if histamine is ingested orally. This product may result from metabolism of histamine by gastrointestinal tract bacteria. Because of its rapid breakdown after oral administration, histamine produces few systemic effects when given by this route. 

Histamine is found in most of the tissues, present in various biological fluids. In most tissues, histamine exists in bound form in granules, in mast cells or basophils. These mast cells are especially rich at sites of potential tissue injury i.e. skin, lungs, liver, GIT etc. and is unevenly distributed. It is also present in many venoms (of bees wasps), bacteria and plant tissues. 

A-10. Many other nitrogenous compounds are formed in the intestine as a result of intestinal bacterial activity. Some have powerful pharmacological (vasopressor) effects. Intestinal bacteria convert lysine, arginine, tyrosine, ornithine and histidine to their vasopressor amines such as cadaverene, agmatine, tyramine, putrescine and histamine respectively. 

Biogenic amines are formed from the decarboxylation of amino acids by certain lactic acid bacteria. As such, these compounds are found in a variety of fermented foods such as cheese, dry sausage, sauerkraut, miso, and soy sauce (Stratton et al., 1991 Lonvaud-Funel, 2001). In wine, histamine, tyramine, putrescine, cadaverine, phenylethylamine, and others have been identified (Zee et al., 1983 Baucom et al., 1986 Ough et al., 1987 Vidal-Garou et al., 1991 Bauza et al., 1995 Soufleros et al., 1998 ... 

Arena and Manca de Nadra, 2001 Moreno-Arribas et al., 2003). The decarboxylations of histidine and ornithine to form histamine and putrescine, respectively, are illustrated in Fig. 11.6. Putrescine can arise from the decarboxylation of ornithine, which, in turn, is formed from arginine (Fig. 2.6). However, there is an alternative pathway in which arginine is first decarhoxylated to yield agmatine, a compound that breaks down to urea and putrescine. Evidence for this alternative pathway in lactic acid bacteria is lacking (Moreno-Arribas et al., 2003). 

The manner in which this decarboxylation takes place differs depending on the species of animal Most species utilize a non-specific tissue decarboxylase which has been identified as DOPA decarboxylase, while a specific decarboxylase is found in mast cells. In man, however, these two enzymes occur in amounts too small to account for the large quantities of histamine found in the body. Human histamine is formed by the action of intestinal bacteria. 

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