HISTAMINE PRODUCTION BY FOOD‐BORNE BACTERIAL SPECIES¹²

Abstract

A total of 112 bacterial strains representing 38 species were tested for their potential to elicit food poisoning outbreaks via histamine formation in foods. Proteus morganii and Enterobacter aerogenes displayed a quantitative superiority in terms of histamine production on a trypticase‐soy broth‐histidine (TSBH) medium and a tuna fish infusion broth (TFIB). When bacteria were incubated under standardized conditions in TSBH medium, histamine accumulated to levels exceeding 50 nmoles/ml of media with a total of 23 strains, including 13 of 15 P. morganii strains, 3 of 3 E. aerogenes strains, 3 of 12 Hafnia alvei strains, 1 of 4 Providencia alcalifaciens strains, 1 of 5 Enterobacter cloacae strains, 1 of 1 Proteus rettgeri strains, and 1 of 1 Citrobacter diversus strains. However, only 8 of the 15 P. morganii strains and the 3 E. aerogenes strains were capable of generating histamine in excess of 200 nmoles/ml in the TSBH medium. Of the 23 strains capable of appreciable histamine production in TSBH medium, P. morganii and E. aerogenes were, by far, the most prolific histamine producers in TFIB. Of the organisms tested, only P. morganii and E. aerogenes would appear to have the capability of forming sufficient histamine in scombroid fish products to elicit food poisoning outbreaks.

Cloning and Sequencing of the Histidine Decarboxylase Genes of Gram-Negative, Histamine-Producing Bacteria and Their Application in Detection and Identification of These Organisms in Fish

“…Hence, it is possible that in such conditions, either powerful histamineproducing bacteria dominate, or at least the populations of weak histamine producers cannot reach the detection limit of PCR. These data are in agreement with previous culture studies concluding that most of bacteria responsible for high levels of histamine in fish stored at temperatures abuse almost exclusively belong to Enterobacteriaceae (27,28,37,38,51,62). M. morganii is generally the most prevalent and potent histamine producer in fish (25,27,28,37,38,40,51).…”

Development of molecular approach based on PCR assay for detection of histamine producing bacteria

“…This data was in concordant with previous studies which indicated that M. morganii was a main contributor for histamine accumulation in marine fish and it was regularly isolated from incriminated fish or fish products after the outbreak of histamine fish poisoning (Klausen and Huss 1987;Kim et al 2002;Kim et al 2003b;Rawles et al 1996). It was noteworthy that even though E. aerogenes was not recognized as the principal histamine producer in histamine fish poisoning outbreaks but it also had an impact on the accumulation of histamine in marine fish and fish products because it was classified as prolific histamine producing bacteria (Kim et al 2009;Takahashi et al 2003;Taylor et al 1978). A. baumannii was classified as a weak histamine producer and rarely isolated from incriminated fish when compared with other histamine producing bacteria (Chen et al 2010).…”

Use of carbon dioxide enriched atmospheres in the refrigerated storage (2 °C) of salmon (Salmo salar ) steaks

“…Final levels of both amines in CO 2 -enriched atmospheres corresponded to approximately half the levels recorded in air. Many bacteria are endowed with histidine decarboxylase activity, but only few species have been associated with histamine production during fish spoilage [41]; these include some Enterobacteriaceae species, such as Morganella morganii and Hafnia alvei [42]. Therefore, the accumulation of histamine observed in the three atmospheres was probably due to the microbial activity of Enterobacteriaceae.…”