Analysis of Histamine in Wine Samples Using the Microplate Format

Bioactive amines are low molecular weight organic bases, formed by biological processes in all living organisms. One such bioactive amine is histamine. Wine, particularly red wine, is a beverage that contains significant amounts of histamine. Although there are many agents in red wine known to cause headaches (e.g. ethanol), histamine has been identified as the primary cause for intense headaches and migraines that some people experience after consuming red wine. Histamine is a bioactive amine that can be produced in vivo or ingested from dietary sources. Endogenous production of histamine is the result of enzymatic decarboxylation of the amino acid histidine, which is catalyzed by the enzyme L-histidine decarboxylase (Figure 1). Once formed the compound is either stored or rapidly inactivated by the action of histamine-Nmethyltransferase and diamine oxidase enzymes. Most tissue histamine is found in the metachromatic granules of mast cells of basophilic leukocytes. Other tissues containing histamine include the brain, where it acts as a neurotransmitter and the enterochromaffin cell of the stomach. In the course of type I allergy histamine is released from mast cells and basophils as a result of antigen binding to IgE on the surface of the cells, resulting in typical allergic reactions. In the case of ingestion of histamine, many of the same symptoms can appear without a true IgE allergic reaction taking place. This phenomenon is referred to as “food intolerance”, with the term “food allergy” being used for true immunological reaction.