Abstract
During the various stages of manufacture of semi-preserved anchovies, histamine shows a significant increase favored by the fragility of anchovies and wealth histidine, an amino acid precursor of histamine. The decarboxylation of histidine is present as a major problem in the industry of semi-preserved anchovies, especially during the ripening step. The objective of this work is to monitor the levels of alteration in a final product subjected to aging by incubation at 30°C ± 1. Accumulation of histamine, as well as microbial population in semi preserved anchovies were investigated. Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacilli do not seem to resist to the salt applied to the product. They disappear within one month of storage. A total of 665 bacterial strains were selected from the prescreening step using various selective media. Only 20.6% of these selected isolates showed a positive reaction in Niven’s differential medium, and 31.4% of the positive isolates were true histamine formers when confirmed by thin layer chromatographie. The values of histamine remain in close contact with the sanitary measures taken by each company. Regular monitoring and mastering of good practices are necessary for a good quality product. Key words: Anchovy, bacteria, histamine, histidine, semi-preserved anchovies.
Highlights
Biogenic amine are basic nitrogenous compounds occurring in meat, fish, cheese and wine products, mainly due to amino acid decarboxylation activities of certain microbes (Hungerford, 2010)
During the various stages of manufacture of semi-preserved anchovies, histamine shows a significant increase favored by the fragility of anchovies and wealth histidine, an amino acid precursor of histamine
Histamine content in fish can rapidly increase during spoilage by bacterial histidine decarboxylases
Summary
Biogenic amine are basic nitrogenous compounds occurring in meat, fish, cheese and wine products, mainly due to amino acid decarboxylation activities of certain microbes (Hungerford, 2010). Histamine is a biogenic amine produced by decarboxylation of free histidine. Histamine is normally present at low levels in the human body, can be present in a variety of foods such as fish, cheese, meat, wine, and fermented foods. Since histamine is involved as a primary mediator in many allergic reactions, the increase in its levels to values greater than 500 mg/kg can be highly toxic giving symptoms that can be confused with alimentary allergies (Baross et al, 1992). Histamine content in fish can rapidly increase during spoilage by bacterial histidine decarboxylases. High levels of histamine content have been found in various types of fish implicated in scombroid poisoning (HwiChang Chen et al, 2008).
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