Polyamines in Food

Abstract

The polyamines spermine, spermidine, and putrescine are involved in various biological processes, notably in cell proliferation and differentiation, and also have antioxidant properties. Dietary polyamines have important implications in human health, mainly in the intestinal maturation and in the differentiation and development of immune system. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of polyamine can also play an important role in the prevention of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases. In addition to endogenous synthesis, food is an important source of polyamines. Although there are no recommendations for polyamine daily intake, it is known that in stages of rapid cell growth (i.e., in the neonatal period), polyamine requirements are high. Additionally, de novo synthesis of polyamines tends to decrease with age, which is why their dietary sources acquire a greater importance in an aging population. Polyamine daily intake differs among to the available estimations, probably due to different dietary patterns and methodologies of data collection. Polyamines can be found in all types of foods in a wide range of concentrations. Spermidine and spermine are naturally present in food whereas putrescine could also have a microbial origin. The main polyamine in plant-based products is spermidine, whereas spermine content is generally higher in animal-derived foods. This article reviews the main implications of polyamines for human health, as well as their content in food and breast milk and infant formula. In addition, the estimated levels of polyamines intake in different populations are provided.

The Effects of Domestication on Secondary Metabolite Composition in Legumes

“…Lowering blood pressure and risk of heart failure (Zhang et al, 2018) Amines Polyamine spermine, spermidine Common bean, white clover, mung bean Antioxidant activities, reduction of cardiovascular diseases (Soda, 2010;Menéndez et al, 2019;Muñoz-Esparza et al, 2019) health benefits of phenolic acids in grain legumes have been previously summarized (Singh et al, 2017). Flavonoids are classified into several sub-classes: flavones, flavonols, flavanones, flavanonols, anthocyanins, flavanols, and isoflavones (Ku et al, 2020).…”

Acute Effects of the Consumption of Passiflora setacea Juice on Metabolic Risk Factors and Gene Expression Profile in Humans

“…Plant-based foods are sources of a variety of bioactive compounds (BC) such as terpenoids (carotenoids, essential oil components, phytosterols), polyphenols (flavonoids and non-flavonoids compounds) [10], sulfur compounds (glucosinolates and ally sulfinates), alkaloids [11], and polyamines [12], whose level of total intake is connected with the protection from chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases [11,12]. Several beneficial effects have been related to the consumption of these compounds such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities [12,13]. These beneficial effects derive from the reported capacity of some BC to modulate cell signaling and consequently the expression of key genes [14].…”

Dietary Mitophagy Enhancer: A Strategy for Healthy Brain Aging?

“…Spermidine is a polyamine which exists in all living cells, including microorganism, plants, and animals [ 32 ]. There are three different sources for spermidine in humans: endogenous biosynthesis, exogenous food intake, and microbial activity in the intestines [ 33 , 34 ].…”