Lactid Acid Bacteria
Oenococcus oeni is a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of economic interest used in winemaking. This bacterium is the preferred species for malolactic fermentation (MLF) due its adaptability to the chemically harsh wine environment. MLF enhances the organoleptic properties and ensures deacidification and microbial stability of wines. After depletion of malic acid, LAB can use amino acids in wine, producing biogenic amines, as a mechanism to obtain survival energy.
Lactic acid bacteria (Oenococcus oeni)
Food safety is a goal whose importance has been increasing over the last decade. According with several authors, all fermented foods (dairy products, beer, wine, cider, fermented sausages, etc.) carry risk of biogenic amines production. These compounds may have toxicological effects that may be more severe in sensitive consumers having a reduced mono-and diamine oxidase activity, the enzyme responsible for its detoxification
Oenococcus oeni surviving mechanisms were studied. Following the malolactic fermentation in wine, the formation of biogenic amines (BA) can supply additional energy necessary to bacteria survival in a harsh environment.
Biogenic amines are formed mainly by decarboxylation of amino acids or by amination and transamination of aldehydes and ketones.
From a toxicological point of view BA can cause undesirable physiological effects in sensitive humans, especially if their metabolism is blocked or genetically altered. They can be a source of problems in commercial transactions since some countries have established maximum limits for histamine content in wine. The published studies concerning the toxicological effects in humans are contradictory. Some authors considered that the presence of BA in wine could be an important food safety problem due to some described implication of these compounds in cases of food intolerance and intoxication.
Under normal conditions, exogenous amines ingested as a part of the diet are absorbed and quickly transformed in the human organism by the action of the amine oxidases. However, when normal catabolic routes of amines are inhibited or a large amount of food containing BA is ingested, several physiological changes can occur, such as migraine headaches, nausea, hypo- or hypertension, cardiac palpitations, and anaphylactic shock.
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