The biogenic amine tryptamine, unlike β-phenylethylamine, shows in vitro cytotoxicity at concentrations that have been found in foods

Beatriz Del Rio; Begoña Redruello; Maria Fernandez; M Cruz Martin; Victor Ladero; Miguel A Alvarez

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127303

The biogenic amine tryptamine, unlike β-phenylethylamine, shows in vitro cytotoxicity at concentrations that have been found in foods

Food Chem. 2020 Nov 30:331:127303. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127303. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Authors

Beatriz Del Rio¹, Begoña Redruello², Maria Fernandez³, M Cruz Martin², Victor Ladero³, Miguel A Alvarez³

Affiliations

¹ Dairy Research Institute, IPLA-CSIC, Paseo Rio Linares s/n, 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain; Molecular Microbiology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain. Electronic address: beadelrio@ipla.csic.es.
² Dairy Research Institute, IPLA-CSIC, Paseo Rio Linares s/n, 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain.
³ Dairy Research Institute, IPLA-CSIC, Paseo Rio Linares s/n, 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain; Molecular Microbiology Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain.

PMID: 32562979
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127303

Abstract

β-phenylethylamine and tryptamine are biogenic amines (BA) often found in foods. In general, BA are assumed to be toxic and their accumulation in food is not recommended. However, present knowledge regarding the toxicity of β-phenylethylamine and tryptamine is limited; more information is needed if qualitative and quantitative risk assessments of foods are to be successfully conducted. This study describes a real-time analysis of β-phenylethylamine and tryptamine toxicity on a human intestinal epithelial cell line. Both BA caused cell necrosis and apoptosis, although the former was the main mode of action of β-phenylethylamine, and the latter the main mode of action of tryptamine. Only tryptamine was cytotoxic at concentrations found in BA-rich foods. The results presented in this work may contribute to establish legal limits for β-phenylethylamine and tryptamine in food.

Keywords: Biogenic amines; Cytotoxicity; Food safety; IC(50); LOAEL; NOAEL; Tryptamine; Tryptamine hydrochloride (PubChem CID: 67652); β-Phenylethylamine hydrochloride (PubChem CID: 9075); β-phenylethylamine.

MeSH terms

Apoptosis / drug effects
Cell Line
Cytotoxins / toxicity*
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Food / adverse effects*
Humans
Intestinal Mucosa / cytology
Legislation, Food
Phenethylamines / toxicity
Risk Assessment
Tryptamines / toxicity*

Substances

Cytotoxins
Phenethylamines
Tryptamines
phenethylamine
tryptamine