Dawniej uważane były za związki silnie toksyczne, co jednak okazało się nieprawdą. Dawki śmiertelne (LDLo) putrescyny i kadaweryny wynoszą 1,6 g/kg (mysz, doustnie). Szkodliwe produkty związane z rozkładem ciał są toksynami bakteryjnymi.
12Scheuer, R,Rodel, W.Determination of biogenic-amines in fermented meat-products.„Fleischwirtschaft”.75(1),s.73-75,1995.Cytat: „Biogenic amines form when proteins putrefy. It used to be assumed that the so-called putrefraction bases such as putrescine and cadaverine were highly toxic. They were counted amongst the toxins arising from corpses - the ptomaines. More recent research has found however that putrescine and cadaverine are relatively harmless and that the toxic substances produced when protein putrefies are pure bacterial toxins. The biogenic amines are not produced only from putrefying corpses, as used to be believed, but occur primarily in many tissues of living organisms and have important functions to perform here.” [streszczenie w j. ang.].(niem.).