A survey of the main technology, biochemical and microbiological features influencing the concentration of biogenic amines of twenty Apulian and Sicilian (Southern Italy) cheeses
Abstract Twenty Apulian and Sicilian cheeses were analysed for their concentrations of eight biogenic amines (BAs), free amino acids, pH, water activity, and subjected to microbiological characterisation. In addition, lactic acid bacteria isolated from cheeses were assayed for their capacity to generate BAs. Principal component analysis was performed to find the effect of different parameters on the distribution of the cheeses. Although short-ripened (≤30 d) cheeses did not show significant BA concentrations, the only BA showing high positive correlation with time of ripening was histamine. Concentration of histidine and, especially, percentage of histidine-decarboxylase bacteria presumably…
Perspective: Essential study quality descriptors for data from nutritional epidemiologic research
Pooled analysis of secondary data increases the power of research and enables scientific discovery in nutritional epidemiology. Information on study characteristics that determine data quality is needed to enable correct reuse and interpretation of data. This study aims to define essential quality characteristics for data from observational studies in nutrition. First, a literature review was performed to get an insight on existing instruments that assess the quality of cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies and dietary measurement. Second, 2 face-to-face workshops were organized to determine the study characteristics that affect data quality. Third, consensus on the data descrip…
Selection of amine-oxidizing dairy lactic acid bacteria and identification of the enzyme and gene involved in the decrease of biogenic amines
ABSTRACT Accumulation of biogenic amines (BAs) in cheese and other foods is a matter of public health concern. The aim of this study was to identify the enzyme activities responsible for BA degradation in lactic acid bacteria which were previously isolated from traditional Sicilian and Apulian cheeses. The selected strains would control the concentration of BAs during cheese manufacture. First, 431 isolates not showing genes encoding the decarboxylases responsible for BA formation were selected using PCR-based methods. Ninety-four out of the 431 isolates degraded BAs (2-phenylethylamine, cadaverine, histamine, putrescine, spermine, spermidine, tyramine, or tryptamine) during cultivation on …