INFLUENCE OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS ON PUTRESCINE FORMATION BY Lactobacillus hilgardii.

ALBERTO, M. R.; ARENA, M.E.; MANCA DE NADRA, M.C.

Buzios

Congreso; ENPROMER; 2005

Putrescine is the most prevalent amine in wine; however its origin is still controversial. Lactobacillus hilgardii X1B, isolated form wine is able to produce putrescine from agmatine. The bacterial metabolism is affect by the medium composition. Red wines contain large amount of phenolic compounds that are able to modify the growth and metabolism of wine lactic acid bacteria. In this work we study the influence of the nonflavonoids phenolic compounds, gallic acid, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid and caffeic acid and flavonoids phenolic compounds, rutin, quercetin and catechin, on growth and putrescine formation by Lactobacillus hilgardii. The addition of agmatine to the basal culture medium increased the growth and survival. When this medium was added with the phenolic compounds, except for gallic acid and quercetin, all of them stimulated the bacterial growth. The maximal stimulatory effect was observed in presence of catechin and rutin. The putrescine formation from agmatine, detected by HPLC, diminished in the presence of protocatechic, vanillic and caffeic acids, and the flavonoids catechin and rutin. The biogenic amine production from agmatine involved energy and ammonia formation. The glucose consumption diminished in presence of agmatine, possibly as consequence of the additional energy produced by the decarboxilation of N-carbamoyl putrescine to produce putrescine. On the other hand, the media alkalization by ammonia production could have an important role in the higher survival of Lactobacillus hilgardii. As the potentiality to produce biogenic amines is a behavior that has toxicological significance, the inhibitory effect on putrescine formation by natural compounds present in wine is important. Phenolic compounds that have beneficial properties on human health appear to be a natural method to prevent putrescine formation from agmatine.