Total volatile basic nitrogen and trimethylamine in muscle foods: Potential formation pathways and effects on human health

Abstract

The use of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N) as a quality parameter for fish is rapidly growing to include other types of meat. Investigations of meat quality have recently focused on TVB‐N as an index of freshness, but little is known on the biochemical pathways involved in its generation. Furthermore, TVB‐N and methylated amines have been reported to exert deterimental health effects, but the relationship between these compounds and human health has not been critically reviewed. Here, literature on the formative pathways of TVB‐N has been reviewed in depth. The association of methylated amines and human health has been critically evaluated. Interventions to mitigate the effects of TVB‐N on human health are discussed. TVB‐N levels in meat can be influenced by the diet of an animal, which calls for careful consideration when using TVB‐N thresholds for regulatory purposes. Bacterial contamination and temperature abuse contribute to significant levels of post‐mortem TVB‐N increases. Therefore, controlling spoilage factors through a good level of hygiene during processing and preservation techniques may contribute to a substantial reduction of TVB‐N. Trimethylamine (TMA) constitutes a significant part of TVB‐N. TMA and trimethylamine oxide (TMA‐N‐O) have been related to the pathogenesis of noncommunicable diseases, including atherosclerosis, cancers, and diabetes. Proposed methods for mitigation of TMA and TMA‐N‐O accumulation are discussed, which include a reduction in their daily dietary intake, control of internal production pathways by targeting gut microbiota, and inhibition of flavin monooxygenase 3 enzymes. The levels of TMA and TMA‐N‐O have significant health effects, and this should, therefore, be considered when evaluating meat quality and acceptability. Agreed international values for TVB‐N and TMA in meat products are required. The role of feed, gut microbiota, and translocation of methylated amines to muscles in farmed animals requires further investigation.

Effect of Dietary Protein and Processing on Gut Microbiota—A Systematic Review

“…Among the various food nutrients, protein has received increasing attention since it is the primary substrate for important beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and harmful putrefactive metabolites (such as ammonia, amines, hydrogen sulfides, phenols, and indoles), which can be produced by gut microbiota through proteolytic fermentation and may influence host health and contribute to the risk of diseases [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Some of these metabolites have bioactive properties and play a critical role in signaling and gene expression of the host [ 11 ] and have potential involvement with health issues such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases [ 10 ]. Protein intake in terms of quantity and quality is central to the above-mentioned effects, with complex mechanisms involved.…”

Rapid and non‐destructive freshness evaluation of squid by FTIR coupled with chemometric techniques

“…The gradual accumulation of some volatile amines (including TMA‐N, DMA‐N and ammonia) of marine products during storage is usually regarded as a traditional indicator to assess seafood freshness 27,38 . TMAO, a body fluid freezing‐point depressor, is involved in fish osmotic regulation 39,40 .…”

“…The gradual accumulation of some volatile amines (including TMA-N, DMA-N and ammonia) of marine products during storage is usually regarded as a traditional indicator to assess seafood freshness. 27,38 TMAO, a body fluid freezing-point depressor, is involved in fish osmotic regulation. 39,40 Both TMA-N and DMA-N are produced from TMAO by spoilage bacteria and intrinsic enzyme activity, respectively, and thereafter are considered as effective markers to evaluate the freshness of many white fish species.…”

“…The PLSR algorithm is highly effective for collinearity avoidance, and is more evident when the number of variables exceeds the number of samples. 27,59 The SVR principle is to translate the low-dimensional input variables into high-dimensional space, and then perform linear regression by identifying an appropriate interface (hyperplane). The SVR can minimize the distance between all sample points and the hyperplane in high dimensional space.…”

“…Changes of biogenic amines (BAs) during storage Nine types of biogenic amines from squid during storage at 4 °C for 11 days were measured by a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. [25][26][27] In detail, the weighted squid sample (5 ± 0.1 g) and 500 μL of 1,7-diaminoheptane (1.0 mg mL −1 ) were mixed and homogenized with 10 mL of 5% trichloroacetic acid, with shaking extraction using a reciprocating shaker (SHRC0719DG; OHAUS Corp., Parsippany, NJ, USA) for 30 min, and then centrifuged at 15 000 × g for 15 min at 4 °C, and filtered through Whatman No.1 filter paper (Cytiva, Little Chalfont, UK). Then, 200 μL of NaOH (1 mol L −1 ) and 1 mL of dansyl chloride (10 mg mL −1 , dissolved in acetone) were mixed with 0.5 mL of extract acid.…”