High-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection method for the simultaneous determination of typical biogenic amines and precursor amino acids. Applications in food chemistry

Excipient-related impurities in liposome drug products

Liposomes are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry as drug delivery systems to increase the efficacy and reduce the off-target toxicity of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). The liposomes are more complex drug delivery systems than the traditional dosage forms, and phospholipids and cholesterol are the major structural excipients. These two excipients undergo hydrolysis and/or oxidation during liposome preparation and storage, resulting in lipids hydrolyzed products (LHPs) and cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) in the final liposomal formulations. These excipient-related impurities at elevated concentrations may affect liposome stability and exert biological functions. This review focuses on LHPs and COPs, two major categories of excipient-related impurities in the liposomal formulations, and discusses factors affecting their formation, and analytical methods to determine these excipient-related impurities.

Mitigation of microbial nitrogen-derived metabolic hazards as a driver for safer alcoholic beverage choices: An evidence-based review and future perspectives

Alcoholic beverages have been enjoyed worldwide as hedonistic commodities for thousands of years. The unique quality and flavor are attributed to the rich microbiota and nutritional materials involved in fermentation. However, the metabolism of these microbiota can also introduce toxic compounds into foods. Nitrogen-derived metabolic hazards (NMH) are toxic metabolic hazards produced by microorganisms metabolizing nitrogen sources that can contaminate alcoholic beverages during fermentation and processing. NMH contamination poses a risk to dietary safety and human health without effective preventive strategies. Existing literature has primarily focused on investigating the causes of NMH formation, detection methods, and abatement techniques for NMH in fermentation end-products. Devising effective process regulation strategies represents a major challenge for the alcoholic beverage industry considering our current lack of understanding regarding the processes whereby NMH are generated, real-time and online detection, and the high degradation rate after NMH formation. This review summarizes the types and mechanisms of nitrogenous hazard contamination, the potential risk points, and the analytical techniques to detect NMH contamination. We discussed the changing patterns of NMH contamination and effective strategies to prevent contamination at different stages in the production of alcoholic beverages. Moreover, we also discussed the advanced technologies and methods to control NMH contamination in alcoholic beverages based on intelligent monitoring, synthetic ecology, and computational assistance. Overall, this review highlights the risks of NMH contamination during alcoholic beverage production and proposes promising strategies that could be adopted to eliminate the risk of NMH contamination.

Multiplex Detection of Biogenic Amines for Meat Freshness Monitoring Using Nanoplasmonic Colorimetric Sensor Array

Biogenic amines (BAs) were presented as significant markers for the evaluation of the spoilage of meat and meat products. In this work, a colorimetric sensor array was developed for the discrimination and detection of spermine (SP), spermidine (SD), histamine (HS), and tryptamine (TP) as important BAs in food assessment. For this aim, two important spherical plasmonic nanoparticles, namely gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), were utilized as the sensing elements of the probes. The cross-reactive interaction of the target biogenic amines and the plasmonic nanoparticles caused the aggregation-induced UV-Vis spectra changes, which were accompanied by visual color variation in the solution. The collected responses were analyzed by principal component analysis-linear discrimination analysis (PCA-LDA) to classify the four BAs. This colorimetric sensor array can also discriminate between the individual BAs and their mixture accurately. Partial least squares regression (PLS-R) was also utilized for quantitative analysis of the BAs. The wide linear concentration ranges of 0.1-10.0 µM for the four BAs and desirable figures of merits (FOMs) showed the potential of the developed sensor for quantitative detection of the BAs. Finally, the practical ability of the developed probe was studied by the determination of the BAs in the meat samples, which successfully proved the potential of the colorimetric sensor array in a food sample.

Polypyrrole/carbon dot nanocomposite as an electrochemical biosensor for liquid biopsy analysis of tryptophan in the human serum of normal and breast cancer women

Liquid biopsy analysis represents a suitable alternative analysis procedure in several cases where no tumor tissue is available or in poor patient conditions. Amino acids can play a crucial role in aiding cancer diagnosis. Monitoring of tryptophan (Trp) catabolism can aid in tracking cancer progression. Therefore, a novel nanocomposite was fabricated using overoxidized polypyrrole film doped with nano-carbon dots (nano-CDs) on the pencil graphite electrode (PGE) surface for sensitive evaluation of Trp in human serum. Using square wave voltammetry (SWV), the overoxidized polypyrrole/carbon dots/pencil graphite electrode (Ov-Ox PPy/CDs/PGE) achieved excellent electrochemical catalytic activity for evaluating Trp. The modified electrode, known as Ov-Ox PPy/CDs/PGE, demonstrated superior electrochemical catalytic activity compared to bare PGE, CDs/PGE, PPy/PGE, and PPy/CDs/PGE for evaluation of Trp. The method's excellent sensitivity was confirmed by the low limits of detection (LOD = 0.003 μmol L-1) and limit of quantitation (LOQ = 0.009 μmol L-1). The biosensor that was developed can measure tryptophan (Trp) levels in the serum of both healthy individuals and female breast cancer patients with high accuracy and sensitivity. The results indicate that there is a significant difference, as shown by the F-test, between healthy individuals and those with breast cancer. This suggests that Trp amino acid could be an essential biomarker for cancer diagnosis. Consequently, liquid biopsy analysis presents a valuable opportunity for early disease detection, particularly for cancer.

Vacuum impregnation pre-treatment: A novel method for incorporating mono- and divalent cations into potato strips to reduce the acrylamide formation in French fries

The effect of different vacuum impregnation (VI) pre-treatments of potato strips [in water (control), NaCl, KCl or CaCl2 (0.1 M) for 10 and 15 min] on acrylamide formation in French fries after deep frying in sunflower oil at 175°C for 5 min was determined. The acrylamide content of fries prepared with potato strips pre-treated by VI in distilled water decreased from 0.82 to 0.24 µg/g when time increased to 15 min. Moreover, the acrylamide content of fries from 10 min-KCl pre-treatment (0.35 µg/g) decreased significantly to 0.04 µg/g when time was 15 min (p < 0.05). In comparison to control (10 min), the VI pre-treatment in KCl and NaCl for 15 min reduced the relative content of acrylamide by 95 and 91%, respectively, and VI in distilled water was able to decrease this value by 71%. Results indicated that monovalent cations (K and Na) were more effective in reducing acrylamide formation than divalent cation (Ca2+) when the VI pre-treatment time increased to 15 min. In conclusion, VI as a pre-treatment for mono- and divalent cations in fried potato production could be a useful technique in industrial applications to reduce acrylamide formation in fries in a short time.

Analytical strategies for the determination of biogenic amines in dairy products

Biogenic amines (BA) are mainly produced by the decarboxylation of amino acids by enzymes from microorganisms that emerge during food fermentation or due to incorrectly applied preservation processes. The presence of these compounds in food can lead to a series of negative effects on human health. To prevent the ingestion of high amounts of BA, their concentration in certain foods needs to be controlled. Although maximum legal levels have not yet been established for dairy products, potential adverse effects have given rise to a substantial number of analytical and microbiological studies: they report concentrations ranging from a few mg/kg to several g/kg. This article provides an overview of the analytical methods for the determination of biogenic amines in dairy products, with particular focus on the most recent and/or most promising advances in this field. We not only provide a summary of analytical techniques but also list the required sample pretreatments. Since high performance liquid chromatography with derivatization is the most widely used method, we describe it in greater detail, including a comparison of derivatizing agents. Further alternative techniques for the determination of BA are likewise described. The use of biosensors for BA in dairy products is emerging, and current results are promising; this paper thus also features a section on the subject. This review can serve as a helpful guideline for choosing the best option to determine BA in dairy products, especially for beginners in the field.

Quantification of tyramine in different types of food using novel green synthesis of ficus carica quantum dots as fluorescent probe

Tyramine (TYM) is catecholamine releasing compound, tyramine rich food causing hypertensive crisis due to combination with monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOIs). So, Analysis of TYM in tyramine rich food (old cheese, cured meat, sausage, pickled olive and canned fish) and environment is very essential for hypertensive patients and improvement food industries. In this work, TYM was analyzed in different types of food using novel green synthesis carbon dots from ficus carica (Fig fruits). The gradual addition of TYM to PA@CQDs led to enhancement of the quantum dots fluorescence due to formation of hydrogen bonding between quantum dots and TYM. The calibration graph plotted in the range 5-400 ng mL^-1 . The method was applied to determination of TYM in different types of food as old cheese, cured meat, sausage, pickled olive and canned fish. The lower limit of quantitation (LOQ) was found to be 1.68 ng mL^-1 . The method successfully applied for the quantification of TYM in varying types of food with high sensitivity and high economic effect due to the reusability of the quantum dots. The optical and morphological characters of quantum dots were studied carefully.

Chemical and structural quality traits during postharvest ripening regulated by chromosome segments from a wild relative of tomato Solanum pennellii IL4-2 and IL5-1

Tomato is usually harvested at an early ripening stage with high firmness suitable for storage and transportation but lacks many quality parameters such as sugars, organic acids, and phenolics. In a recent study, we have selected introgression lines (ILs) IL4-2 and IL5-1, developed from a cross between the Solanum pennellii and the Solanum lycopersicum M82, that exhibit differentiated postharvest shelf-life characteristics in the fruit compared to M82 and the rest of the ILs. Here, we first structurally and biochemically characterized IL4-2, IL5-1, and their parent M82 to decipher the cell wall mechanistic difference between soft (IL4-2) and firm (IL5-1) lines at two postharvest ripening periods. Generally, IL4-2 had more active cell wall modifications in terms of ripening-related gene expression, water-soluble pectin, and cell wall structure under the microscope, which probably makes this line softer than IL5-1. We also evaluated these lines based on commercial quality parameters, sugars, phenolics, organic, and amino acids to gain insight into their commercial and functional quality and reveal noticeable differences. In summary, the contribution of the S. pennellii IL5-1 and IL4-2 to the shelf life of the tomato was structurally characterized, and the component differences meeting the quality criteria were revealed.

Development of a Derivatization Reagent with a 2-Nitrophenylsulfonyl Moiety for UHPLC-HRMS/MS and Its Application to Detect Amino Acids Including Taurine

Taurine (Tau) has some important ameliorating effects on human health and is present in bivalve. For the selective analysis of Tau with other amino acids, we designed a derivatization reagent, 2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl(4-(((2-nitrophenyl)sulfonyl)oxy)-6-(3-oxomorpholino)quinoline-2-carbonyl)pyrrolidine-3-carboxylate (Ns-MOK-β-Pro-OSu). After derivatization with Ns-MOK-β-Pro-OSu, amino acids with Tau in Japanese littleneck clams were determined through ultra-high-performance-liquid chromatography with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) using an octadecyl silica column. We could detect 18 amino acids within 10 min. Tau, valine, glutamine, glutamic acid, and arginine in the clams were determined in the negative ion mode using the characteristic fragment ion, C₆H₄N₁O₅S, which corresponded to the 2-nitrobenzenesulfonylate moiety. The fragment ion, C₆H₄N₁O₅S, was recognized as a common feature regardless of the amino acid to be derivatized, and it was convenient for detecting amino acid derivatives with high selectivity and sensitivity. Therefore, highly selective quantification using UHPLC-HRMS/MS was possible using Ns-MOK-β-Pro-OSu.

Determination of six underivatized biogenic amines by LC-MS/MS and study of biogenic amine production during trout (Salmo trutta) storage in ice

Biogenic amines (BAs) are natural components of food produced mainly during metabolism in animals and plants. The determination of BAs is important because of their potential toxicity and their potential use as food spoilage indicators. In the present study, a method for the determination of six BAs (putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, β-phenylethylamine, tyramine, and tryptamine) by Liquid Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionisation (APCI) source has been used on trout samples (Salmo trutta) stored in ice for 15 days. The results showed that on day 15 quite large amounts of putrescine (76.530 mg/kg), cadaverine (85.530 mg/kg), tryptamine (25.210 mg/kg), and histamine (15.975mg/kg) were detected, while the other BAs remained low (β-phenylethylamine: 3.230 mg/kg, tyramine: 0.165mg/kg). Furthermore, microbiological data (Total Vial Count- TVC, Pseudomonas spp, and Shewanella putrefaciens) showed that trout samples became organoleptically unacceptable on day 12, while volatile compound analysis showed a significant increase in total amounts of alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones on days 12 and 15.

Fabrication of Gd2O3 Nanosheet-Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode for Nonenzymatic Highly Selective Electrochemical Detection of Vitamin B2

A novel Gd₂O₃ nanosheet was synthesized by the template-free chemical coprecipitation method. Interestingly, upon calcination at 600 °C, nanoparticles were transformed into a nanosheet, as observed from field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images. An increase in the calcination temperature to 600 °C increases the particle size to 50 nm, which results in aggregation. A sheetlike Gd₂O₃ exhibits superparamagnetism from 300 K. The highly selective nonenzymatic sensing of riboflavin (RF) was studied using a modified glassy carbon electrode with Gd₂O₃ nanosheets, and its various applications were made possible by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The redox behavior of the RF was determined. The newly fabricated sensor showed high sensitivity, stability, and reproducibility and was also tested with a commercial vitamin B2 tablet and a milk powder sample.

Ultra-Stable UiO-66 Involved Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Specific and Sensitive Determination of Tyramine Based on Quartz Crystal Microbalance Technology

A rapid method was developed to determine the content of tyramine in food on the basis of the combination of molecular imprinting technique and the metal-organic frameworks. We developed the new molecular imprinted polymers based on metal-organic frameworks UiO-66 (named UiO-66@MIPs) as the sensing recognition element, the non-molecular imprinted polymers based on UiO-66 (named UiO-66@NIPs) was synthesized according the same steps without tyramine for comparison. The characterization of obtained UiO-66@MIPs was investigated through a series of characterization experiments. The results indicated that the octahedral shaped UiO-66 was encapsulated in the sol-gel polymer film, with a desirable thermal stability and possessed a specific surface area (SSA) of 994.3 m²·g⁻¹. The imprinting factor of the UiO-66@MIPs for tyramine was 1.956 in static experiment. This indicates the synthesized UiO-66@MIPs have outstanding performance compered to UiO-66@NIPs on the static adsorption quantity and selective adsorption affinity. It’s to make use of advantages of the synthetic materials to develop a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor for the sensitive detection of tyramine. The detection limit of the system was 61.65 μg·L⁻¹ within measurable concentration range from 80 to 500 μg·L⁻¹. The prepared QCM sensor was verified in selectivity and application. The UiO-66@MIPs possess good behavior on selectivity, absorptivity, and chemical stability, so the UiO-66@MIPs achieve accurate and rapid trace detection of biogenic amines in food combining with the quartz crystal microbalance.

The Importance of Derivatizing Reagent in Chromatography Applications for Biogenic Amine Detection in Food and Beverages

Biogenic amines (BA) are chemical compounds formed in foods that contain protein, allowing the foods to undergo a bacterial degradation process. Biogenic amines are labeled as toxic food because its consumption exceeding the FDA regulation (50 mg/kg) can be harmful to humans. Some countries also have regulations that prohibit the consumption of biogenic amines in high concentrations, especially histamine. The chromatography methods generally applied by researchers are liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC), where the use of a derivatization reagent is necessary to increase their sensitivity. This review is based on past and present studies about biogenic amine detection related to food samples. The rationale of this study is also to provide data on the comparison of the analytical approaches between LC and GC methods. Furthermore, the various approaches of biogenic amine determination and the most applied analytical methods have been reviewed.

Neuroactive compounds in foods: Occurrence, mechanism and potential health effects

Neuroactive compounds are synthesized by certain plants and microorganisms by undertaking different tasks, especially as a stress response. Most common neuroactive compounds in foods are gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), serotonin, melatonin, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, dopamine, norepinephrine, histamine, tryptamine, tyramine and β-phenylethylamine. Fermented foods contain some of these compounds, which can affect human health and mood. Moreover, food processing such as roasting and malting alter amount and profile of neuroactive compounds in foods. In addition to plant-origin and microbially-formed neuroactive compounds in foods, these substances are also formed by gut microbiota, which is the most attractive subject to assess the interaction between gut microbiota and mental health. The discovery of microbiota-gut-brain axis calls for the investigation of the effects of diet on the formation of neuroactive compounds in the gut. Furthermore, probiotics and prebiotics are indispensable elements for the understanding of the food-mood relationship. The focus of this comprehensive review is to investigate the neuroactive compounds found naturally in foods or formed during fermentation. Their formation pathways in humans, plants and microorganisms, potential health effects, effects of diet on the formation of microbial metabolites including neuroactive compounds in the gut are discussed throughout this review. Furthermore, the importance of gut-brain axis, probiotics and prebiotics are discussed.

Independent spectral characteristics of functionalized silver nanoparticles for colorimetric assay of arginine and spermine in biofluids

A colorimetric assay for selective and sensitive detection of arginine and spermine using 6-ATT-AgNPs as a probe.

Recombinant laccase from Pediococcus acidilactici CECT 5930 with ability to degrade tyramine

Biogenic amines degradation by bacterial laccases is little known, so we have cloned and heterologously expressed, in E. coli, a new laccase from Pediococcus acidilactici CECT 5930 (Lpa5930), a lactic acid bacterium commonly found in foods able to degrade tyramine. The recombinant enzyme has been characterized by physical and biochemical assays. Here we report the optimization of expression and purification procedures of this laccase. DNA encoding sequence of laccase from P. acidilactici was amplified by PCR and cloned into the expression plasmid pET28a for induction by isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactoipyranoside. Protein expression was performed in E. coli BL21(DE3) harboring pGro7 plasmid expressing a chaperone folding assistant induced by arabinose. Purification was performed by column metal-chelating chromatography on Ni-NTA-agarose. The laccase enzyme obtained has an apparent molecular mass of ∼60 kDa, an optimum temperature activity toward 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) of 28°C, and was quickly inactivated at temperatures higher than 70°C. The apparent Km value for ABTS was 1.7 mM and the Vmax obtained was 24 U/mg. In addition to ABTS, recombinant Lpa5930 laccase degraded the biogenic amine tyramine at pH 9.5 and pH 4.0 with or without ABTS as a mediator. Tyramine degradation by laccases could solve the problems generated in food due to the presence of this toxic compound.

Environmentally friendly solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for the determination of biogenic amines in fish samples

In this work, a facile and environmentally friendly solid-phase microextraction assay based on on-fiber derivatization coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was developed for determining four nonvolatile index biogenic amines (putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, and tyramine) in fish samples. In the assay, the fiber was firstly dipped into a solution with isobutyl chloroformate as derivatization reagent and isooctane as extraction solvent. Thus, a thin organic liquid membrane coating was developed. Then the modified fiber was immersed into sample solution to extract four important bioamines. Afterwards, the fiber was directly inserted into gas chromatography injection port for thermal desorption. 1,7-Diaminoheptane was employed as internal standard reagent for quantification of the targets. The limits of detection of the method were 2.98-45.3 μg/kg. The proposed method was successfully applied to the detection of bioamines in several fish samples with recoveries ranging 78.9-110%. The organic reagent used for extraction was as few as microliter that can greatly reduce the harm to manipulator and environment. Moreover, the extraction procedures were very simple without concentration and elution procedures, which can greatly simplify the pretreatment process. The assay can be extended to the in situ screening of other pollutant in food safety by changing the derivatization reagent.

Extraction Efficiency of Different Solvents and LC-UV Determination of Biogenic Amines in Tea Leaves and Infusions

Biogenic amines (BAs), that is, spermine, spermidine, putrescine, histamine, tyramine, β-phenylethylamine, cadaverine, and serotonin, have been determined in several samples of tea leaves, tea infusions, and tea drinks by LC-UV method after derivatization with dansyl chloride. Different extraction solvents have been tested and TCA 5% showed better analytical performances in terms of linearity, recovery percentages, LOD, LOQ, and repeatability than HCl 0.1 M and HClO4 0.1 M and was finally exploited for the quantitative determination of BAs in all samples. In tea leaves total BAs concentration ranged from 2.23 μg g(-1) to 11.24 μg g(-1) and PUT (1.05-2.25 μg g(-1)) and SPD (1.01-1.95 μg g(-1)) were always present, while SER (nd-1.56 μg g(-1)), HIS (nd-2.44 μg g(-1)), and SPM (nd-1.64 μg g(-1)) were detected more rarely. CAD and PHE were determined in few samples at much lower concentrations while none of the samples contained TYR. Tea infusions showed the same trend with total BAs concentrations never exceeding 80.7 μg L(-1). Black teas showed higher amounts of BAs than green teas and organic and decaffeinated samples always contained much lower BAs levels than their conventional counterparts.

Rapid analysis of biogenic amines from rice wine with isotope-coded derivatization followed by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A pair of isotope-coded derivatization reagents, d0-10-methyl-acridone-2-sulfonyl chloride (d0-MASC, light form) and d3-10-methyl-acridone-2-sulfonyl chloride (d3-MASC, heavy form), were used for labeling biogenic amines (BAs). On basis of the isotope-coded derivatization, a global isotope internal standard quantitative method for determining seven BAs by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was developed. The d0-MASC and d3-MASC can easily label BAs under mild conditions within 15 min at 50 °C. The obtained light and heavy labeled BAs were monitored by the transitions of [M+H](+) → 208 and [M+H](+) → 211, respectively. Relative quantification of BAs was achieved by calculation of the peak area ratios of d0-MASC/d3-MASC labeled derivatives. Excellent linear responses for relative quantification were observed in the range of 1/10-10/1. The developed method has been successfully applied to the quantification of BAs in Chinese rice wine with recoveries ranging from 94.9% to 104.5%.

Determination of dansylated amino acids and biogenic amines in Cannonau and Vermentino wines by HPLC-FLD

Free amino acids (AA) and biogenic amines (BA) were quantified for the first time in Cannonau and Vermentino wines, the two most popular "Controlled Designation of Origin" wines from Sardinia (Italy). An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of AA and BA was developed, using selective derivatization with dansyl chloride followed by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Thirty-two compounds were identified in the wines analysed. High levels of AA were found, with proline being the most abundant with average levels of 1244 ± 398 and 1008 ± 281 mg/L in Cannonau and Vermentino wines, respectively. BA were detected at average concentrations <10mg/L, except putrescine which reached 20.5 ± 10.2mg/L in Cannonau wines. Histamine was never detected in any Vermentino wines. γ-Aminobutyric acid, 4-hydroxyproline, glycine, leucine+isoleucine and putrescine proved to be useful for differentiating Cannonau wines from Vermentino wines.

Amperometric bienzyme screen-printed biosensor for the determination of leucine

Leucine plays an important role in protein synthesis, brain functions, building muscle mass, and helping the body when it undergoes stress. Here, we report a new amperometric bienzyme screen-printed biosensor for the determination of leucine, by coimmobilizing p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase (HBH) and leucine dehydrogenase (LDH) on a screen-printed electrode with NADP(+) and p-hydroxybenzoate as the cofactors. The detection principle of the sensor is that LDH catalyzes the specific dehydrogenation of leucine by using NADP(+) as a cofactor. The product, NADPH, triggers the hydroxylation of p-hydroxybenzoate by HBH in the presence of oxygen to produce 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate, which results in a change in electron concentration at the working carbon electrode, which is detected by the potentiostat. The sensor shows a linear detection range between 10 and 600 μM with a detection limit of 2 μM. The response is reproducible and has a fast measuring time of 5-10 s after the addition of a given concentration of leucine.

A review of the liquid chromatographic methods for the determination of biogenic amines in foods

Biogenic amines (BAs) are biologically active molecules which have aliphatic (putrescine, cadaverine, spermine, spermidine), aromatic (tyramine, phenylethylamine) or heterocyclic (histamine, tryptamine) structures. They can be detected in raw and processed foods which are formed and degraded through several pathways during the metabolic processes of animals, plants and microorganisms. The identification and quantitation procedures of BAs in food samples are very important, because BAs are considered as the indicators of food quality and freshness. The determination of BAs are commonly achieved by separation techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). In this article, analysis of BAs in foods were reviewed from 2007 to present.

Simultaneous determination of four biogenic and three volatile amines in anchovy by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry

A new method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of four biogenic (putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, and tyramine) and three volatile amines (trimethylamine, triethylamine, and tripropylamine) in anchovy. Separation and determination of the selected compounds were carried out by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), using an electrospray ionization source (ESI) in positive ion mode. Chromatographic separation was carried out using an aqueous solution of formic acid (0.1%) and methanol as mobile phase in gradient mode. The method was validated, and mean recoveries were evaluated at three concentration levels (75, 150, and 250 μg/kg), ranging from 70 to 110% at the three levels assayed. Intra- and interday precision, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), were lower than 15% and 20%, respectively. Limits of quantitation (LOQs) were 25 μg/kg for all cases, except for that of TMA, which was set at 60 μg/kg. The developed procedure was applied to determine the target compounds in anchovy samples stored during 7 days at 4 °C, observing the increasing in the concentration of these compounds at longer storage time.