Polyamines(PAs)areubiquitoussubstancesconsideredtobebioregulatorsofnumerouscellfunctions;theytakepartincellgrowth,division,anddifferentiation.Thesebiogenicaminesarealsoinvolvedintissuerepairandinintracellularsignaling;infact,becauseoftheirpolycationiccharacter,theyinteracttoalargeextentwithmembranephospho-lipidsandmayplayanimportantroleintheregulationofmembrane-linkedenzymes.Theintracellularpolyaminecontentderivesfromthesimultaneousregulationofthesynthesis,catabolism,uptake,andeliminationofthepolyamines;furthermore,PAsarepresentinallcelltypesatdifferentconcentrations,butthehighestlevelsarefoundinrapid-turnovertissues.Inadditiontospermidine,spermine,andputrescine,alsoagmatine(AGM),deriv-ingfromarginineandidentifiedinmammalsinthe1990s,isapolyamineandseveralstudieshavereporteditspotentiallypositiveroleintheproductionofsecretagogues,andinneuronal,vascular,metabolic,andtherapeuticfunctions.Becauseofthelowargininedecarboxylase(ADC)activityinmammalians,theamountsofAGMfoundintheirtissuescanbeonlyminimallyascribedtoanendogenousdenovosynthesisbyADC,whileasub-stantialquantityofAGMmaybeofdietaryorigin.Severalfoodproductscontainonlysmallamountsofpolyamines,whilehigherconcentrationscanbefoundinfermentedfoods.PAscouldalsobeconsideredasindicatorsoffreshnessinfishandmeatproducts;asthesemoietiesareproducedduringfoodstorage,itwouldseemtoconfirmthemainroleofmicroorganismsintheirsynthesis.Inparticular,highlevelsofAGMarepresentinalcoholicbeverages,suchaswine,beer,sake,whichwouldseemtoconfirmtheroleofyeastsinAGMproduction.Althoughmanybiologicalfunctionshavebeenattributedtopolyamines,highlevelsofthesecompoundsinfoodstuffscanhavetoxicologicaleffects;however,nosafelevelfortheintakeofpolyaminesinadiethasyetbeenestablished.InthispaperthepresenceofAGMindifferentfoodstuffsisdiscussed,alsotakingintoaccountthevariousfactorsaffectingitspresenceandconcentration.
Titolo: | Focused Review: Agmatine in fermented foods |
Autori: | |
Data di pubblicazione: | 2012 |
Rivista: | |
Handle: | http://hdl.handle.net/11562/554826 |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 01.01 Articolo in Rivista |