Do the biogenic amines ethylamine, ethanolamine and methylamine reach toxic concentrations in foods?

Ethylamine, ethanolamine and methylamine are biogenic amines (BA) - active metabolites that, despite having important biological functions, may accumulate at toxic concentrations in certain foods. Very little information exists on the toxicity of these BA in this context. This study provides new insights into their cytotoxicity with respect to a human intestinal epithelial cell line, as assessed using real-time cell analyzer technology. A preliminary evaluation of the cytotoxic mode of action was also performed. The present results show that only ethylamine was cytotoxic for these cells at food concentrations. These new data should help establish legal limits for these BA in foods.