Amino acid metabolisms and production of biogenic amines and ethyl carbamate

Abstract

In winemaking process, a wide range of volatile and non-volatile compounds originate from microbial catabolism of amino acids. Among these catabolites, biogenic amines, low molecular weight organic bases produced by decarboxylation of their respective free precursor amino acids, are receiving much attention in wine science because of their potential implication for human health. This chapter, after a brief overview on the occurrence of biogenic amines in wines, deals with the role played by yeasts and lactic acid bacteria in the formation and accumulation of these molecules during winemaking, giving emphasis to the most frequently found amines (histamine, tyramine and putrescine) and their physiological significance in bacterial cells. Moreover, the most suitable methods to detect biogenic amine-producing lactic acid bacteria or to quantify biogenic amine in wine as well as strategies to reduce biogenic amine content in wine are reported. Finally, a note on the formation of ethyl carbamate, a carcinogen compound originating in wine through a non-enzymatic reaction between ethanol and microbial catabolites containing a carbamyl group, is furnished.