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Chocolate is an important source of free bioactive amines and amino acids which play important roles in human health. Considering the limited information on the bioaccessibility of these compounds from chocolate, the objective of this study was to characterize their profiles and bioaccessibility in 70% cocoa dark chocolate through in vitro simulation of oral, gastric and intestinal digestions. Seven amines were detected; polyamines were predominant before in vitro digestion, whereas tyramine, cadaverine and spermidine after digestion. All amines showed high bioaccessibility with slight influence of digestive enzymes. Amines increased after gastrointestinal digestion: tyramine (13-fold), tryptamine (9-fold), others (2.4–4.2-fold) and histamine appeared. All amino acids, GABA and ammonia were detected in chocolate, and their contents increased after in vitro digestion due to digestive enzymes (4.6, 2.8 and 2.1, respectively). Dark chocolate protein is a good source of tryptophan, phenylalanine + tyrosine, isoleucine, histidine, but limiting for lysine, leucine, and threonine.

CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico FAPEMIG - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior Mushrooms are significant sources of amino acids and bioactive amines; however, their bioaccessibility can be affected by processing and during in vitro digestion. Fresh Agaricus bisporus mushroom was submitted to cooking and canning and samples were submitted to in vitro gastric and gastric-intestinal digestions. An UHPLC method was used for the simultaneous determination of 18 free amino acids, 10 biogenic amines and ammonia in the samples. Fresh mushroom contained 14 free amino acids, with predominance of alanine and glutamic acid; spermidine was the only amine detected; and ammonia was also detected. Spermidine levels were not affected by cooking, but there was a significant loss (14%) after canning. Spermidine levels were not affected by the in vitro gastric and intestinal digestion, suggesting full bioaccessibility. There was a significant decrease on total amino acids levels after cooking and canning, with higher losses for aspartic and glutamic acids in cooked and for aspartic acid and valine in canned mushrooms. After the in vitro gastric and intestinal digestions, the total levels of amino acids increased and two additional amino acids (arginine and methionine) were detected. During in vitro digestion many of the amino acids were released mainly in the intestinal phase. After in vitro digestion, amino acids per gram of protein of mushrooms are adequate for most FAO amino acid pattern for adults. Multivariate analysis confirmed that protein hydrolysis in processed mushrooms is higher in intestinal phase. Bioaccessibility data for spermidine in A. bisporus is a novelty and increase the value of this food.

Polyamines contribute to longevity and a high dietary consumption of spermidine, or its supplementation, exerts cardioprotective effects and can increase lifespan. Bioactive amines have a significant effect on human health and disease. Ten bioactive amines were investigated in the edible parts of 12 different vegetables, typical of the Brazilian cuisine: broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, jilo (scarlet eggplant), tomato, green onion, parsley, spinach, capers, cassava, heart of palm and bean sprouts. Free amines were extracted with 5% trichloroacetic acid, separated using ion-pair reverse phase HPLC and quantified fluorometrically after post-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde. The average total amines ranged from 0.47 to 4.51 mg/100 g, except for eggplant and bean sprouts, which were >10 mg/100 g. Spermidine was the most frequent amine in all the vegetables, followed by putrescine, agmatine and spermine. Histamine was found in eggplant, jilo, tomato (all from the Solanaceae family), spinach, parsley, capers and bean sprouts. Tyramine was also found in fruits of the Solanaceae family, green onion, spinach, parsley and heart of palm. Cadaverine was only found in bean sprouts. The neuroactive amines, serotonin, 2-phenylethylamine and tryptamine were found at trace concentrations in some vegetables. The skin and the core of eggplant had higher histamine than the pulp; therefore, distribution of amines depends on vegetable portion, which can be reduced for sensitive individuals to avoid histamine intoxication.