Histamine in Australian wines - a survey between 1982 and 2009

Biogenic amines are found in a range of fermented foods and beverages, including wine. Absorption of these compounds in elevated concentrations may induce headaches, gastro-intestinal and respiratory distress. The main biogenic amines found in wine are histamine, tyramine, cadaverine and putrescine. Even though concentrations of histamine in wine are generally ten-fold lower than found in some fresh and other fermented foods, their presence may contribute to an adverse reaction when consumed in combination with other histamine-containing foods. It is well established that the main contribution of biogenic amines in wines is from lactic acid bacteria metabolism, especially during or after malolactic fermentation (MLF). A survey for histamine content of Australian red and white wines produced during 1982–1990 demonstrated a wide range of concentrations (mean 1.58 and 0.21 mg/L, respectively). A second survey of histamine content in red and white wines produced during 2003–2009 (mean 1.75 and 0.59 mg/L, respectively) showed that there were minimal changes in the mean histamine concentration over the period of the two sets of wines. All 238 Australian wines from 1982–1990 and 99 of 100 wines from 2003–2009 were below the former regulatory recommended limit of 10 mg/L for histamine in wine and were low compared to other wine-producing countries. Seven other biogenic amines measured in the Australian wines from 2003–2009 also had low means compared to other wine-producing countries.Eveline J. Bartowsky and Creina S. Stockle

Do fall additions of salmon carcasses benefit food webs in experimental streams?

Research showing that salmon carcasses support the productivity and biodiversity of aquatic and riparian ecosystems has been conducted over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. In some studies, carcasses were manipulated in a single pulse or loading rate or manipulations occurred during summer and early fall, rather than simulating the natural dynamic of an extended spawning period, a gradient of loading rates, or testing carcass effects in late fall-early winter when some salmon stocks in the US Pacific Northwest spawn. To address these discrepancies, we manipulated salmon carcass biomass in 16 experimental channels located in the sunlit floodplain of the Cedar River, WA, USA between mid-September and mid-December, 2006. Total carcass loads ranged from 0–4.0 kg/m2 (0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 kg/m2, n = 2 per treatment) and were added to mimic the temporal dynamic of an extended spawning period. We found little evidence that carcasses influenced primary producer biomass or fish growth; however, nutrients and some primary consumer populations increased with loading rate. These effects varied through time, however. We hypothesize that the variable effects of carcasses were a result of ambient abiotic condition, such as light, temperature and disturbance that constrained trophic response. There was some evidence to suggest peak responses for primary producers and consumers occurred at a loading rate of *1.0–2.0 kg/m2, which was similar to other experimental studies conducted during summer