Health concerns associated with biogenic amines in food and interaction with amine oxidase drugs

Biogenic amines are relevant to human health, however, at high concentrations, some can cause adverse effects. Tyramine and histamine are the ones most associated with food intoxication. The symptoms of tyramine intoxication are increased blood pressure, migraine and hypertensive crisis in individuals under monoamine oxidase inhibitor treatment. High levels of tyramine can be found in aged cheese, sausages, and alcoholic beverages. Histamine intoxication is characterized by pruritus, rash, urticaria, and the most incriminated foods are fish and cheese containing excessive amounts of histamine. Nowadays, histamine intolerance, with a wide range of nonspecific gastrointestinal, neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, and skin symptoms, is prevalent with even low-histamine-level food. The severity of symptoms is enhanced when metabolization mechanisms are deficient, metabolizing enzymes are inhibited (e.g. by drugs), or in the concomitant presence of other bioactive amines, which can enhance and synergistically potentiate toxicity. In addition, some bioactive amines show cytotoxicity at the concentrations usually found in food, indicating the need to expand the studies about their chronic effects. Up-to-date information is provided in this paper allowing a better understanding of the factors involved and which can affect intoxications, thereby contributing to their avoidance.