The factors affecting biogenic amines formation in the foods and transformation of biogenic amines to other compounds

Biogenic amines mainly occur by microbial activity in high-protein foods and fermented foods and have important health effects, but may cause toxicological effects at high concentrations. For this reason, the factors influencing microbial growth also affects production of biogenic amines. The factors that affect the formation of biogenic amines are carbohydrate concentration, pH, temperature, sodium chloride concentration, types of microorganisms in the foods, starter cultures, oxygen and so on. While biogenic amines can react with nitrosating reagents such as nitrite and nitrogen oxides to form carcinogenic nitrosamines, they are also able to transform from one biogenic amine form to another. In addition, some polyamines could produce toxic acrolein by their catabolism with polyamine oxidase. The aim of this paper is to give information about the occurrence and formation mechanisms of biogenic amines, factors influencing their formation, and transformation of biogenic amines to other compounds.