Effects of Storage Time and Temperature on the Microflora and Amine-Development in Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus)

ABSTRACT Microbial content was characterized and levels of three amines (histamine, cadaverine, and putrescine) were determined in Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) decomposed at PC, WC, and 30°C for varying lengths of time. Correlations were shown (1) between the levels of the histamine, cadaverine, and putrescine and the time and temperature of decomposition, (2) between the ratios of cadaverine/histamine and putrescine/histamine levels and the temperature of decomposition, and (3) between increasing total microbial counts and rising amine levels. A total of 14 bacterial species with histidine decarboxylase activity were isolated from decomposing fish, including three species (Acinetobacter lwoffi, Pseudomonas putrefaciens, and Aeromonas hydrophila) not previously reported to have the potential to produce histamine.