Formation, Degradation, and Detoxification of Putrescine by Foodborne Bacteria: A Review

Biogenic amines (BAs) represent a considerable toxicological risk in some food products. Putrescine is one of the most common BAs in food. Its increased occurrence in food may lead to alimentary poisoning, due to enhancement of the toxic effects of other BAs, and also to lower quality of food, this amine is potentially carcinogenic. Increased occurrence of putrescine in food is mainly due to the bacterial metabolism of the Gram-negative as well as Gram-positive bacteria present. The bacterial metabolism of putrescine is very specific due to its complexity (in comparison with the metabolism of other BAs). There are 3 distinct known pathways leading toward the formation of putrescine, in some splices involving up to 6 different enzymes. The existence of more metabolic pathways and the possibility of their simultaneous use by different bacteria complicate the specification of the best conditions for food production and storage, which could lead to a lower content of putrescine. This review provides a summary of the existing knowledge about putrescine production and detection (mainly detection of specific genes for different enzymes using polymerase chain reaction) in both starter and contaminating microorganisms. Thus, this comprehensive review gives a useful overview for further research.