Abstract
Biogenic amines (BA) – nitrogenous compounds of low molecular weight – are the result of metabolism of certain amino acids. They are biologically present in all living organisms and play essential physiological roles. However, their accumulation in foodstuffs due to the metabolic activity of certain microorganisms represents a toxicological risk. Containing such microorganisms, and with an abundance of precursor substrate amino acids, fermented foods in general, and cheeses in particular, provide an ideal matrix for the accumulation of these toxic compounds. Unfortunately, the main microorganisms responsible for BA accumulation are members of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) group, which are also essential for the development of the organoleptic characteristics of the final product. The methods used to reduce the BA content of cheese, such as milk pasteurization, commonly fail to do so, and affect desirable non-BA-producing LAB as well. Bacteriophages have been proposed as biotechnological tools for diminishing the presence of undesirable microorganisms in dairy products. Given their specificity, they could be used to target the population of BA-producing bacteria. In this work, we aimed to explore the use of Enterococcus faecalis infecting phages as a tool to reduce the content of BA in dairy products. For this, we proceeded to the isolation and characterization of E. faecalis bacteriophage 156, a member of the family Myoviridae. Its genome was sequenced and compared with that of E. faecalis family Myoviridae phages available in public databases. Its capacity to decrease the accumulation of the BA tyramine and putrescine in an experimental laboratory-scale cheese model was proven.
Highlights
Biogenic amines (BA) are low molecular weight nitrogenous compounds – formed via the catabolism of certain amino acids – that posse important biological activities
Cheese provides a perfect environment for the production and accumulation of BA (Linares et al, 2012): (i) the milk used in cheese-making is not aseptic and contains microbial BAproducers that are part of the natural milk microbiota; (ii) the chemical and physical conditions of cheese-making favor the production of BA; and (iii) proteolysis plays an essential role in the ripening period that results in the release of large amounts of amino acids – the precursor substrates for BA production (Linares et al, 2012)
Its capability to reduce the cheese content of tyramine and putrescine was further evaluated in an experimental cheese model assay
Summary
Biogenic amines (BA) are low molecular weight nitrogenous compounds – formed via the catabolism of certain amino acids – that posse important biological activities. These compounds can accumulate at high concentrations in foodstuffs due to the metabolic activity of certain microorganisms, and the ingestion of such foods can lead to intoxication (Ladero et al, 2010a). The presence of high concentrations of BA – mainly tyramine, histamine, Frontiers in Microbiology | www.frontiersin.org del Rio et al. Bacteriophage Control of Biogenic Amines and putrescine – in food constitutes a toxicological hazard (European Food Safety Authority [EFSA], 2011; del Rio et al, 2017, 2019). Cheese provides a perfect environment for the production and accumulation of BA (Linares et al, 2012): (i) the milk used in cheese-making is not aseptic and contains microbial BAproducers that are part of the natural milk microbiota; (ii) the chemical and physical conditions of cheese-making (pH, temperature, etc.) favor the production of BA; and (iii) proteolysis plays an essential role in the ripening period that results in the release of large amounts of amino acids – the precursor substrates for BA production (Linares et al, 2012)
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