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.
Focused Review: Agmatine in fermented foods
Favati, Fabio
2012-01-01
Abstract
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.
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