Nutritional requirements of Allisonella histaminiformans, a ruminal bacterium that decarboxylates histidine and produces histamine.

Histamine is an inflammatory agent that contributes to bovine laminitis. Cattle fed silage-containing rations often have large populations of Allisonella histaminiformans, but this obligate histidine-decarboxylating bacterium could not be isolated from cattle fed timothy hay. The growth of A. histaminiformans was stimulated by yeast extract, protein hydrolysates, and water-soluble extracts of alfalfa or corn silage. Extracts of alfalfa were more potent than corn silage. Because growth and histamine production were not stimulated by Casamino Acids or a mixture of purified amino acids, it appeared that A. histaminiformans requires peptides. The idea that A. histaminiformans requires peptides is consistent with the observation that alfalfa silages often have a large amount of peptide nitrogen.