The Development of an Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Biogenic Amines in Fish Samples

Rapid Fluorochromic Sensing of Tertiary Amines and Opioids via Dual-Emissive Ground and Excited Charge-Transfer States

The recognition and differentiation of organic amines are crucial for applications in drug analysis, food spoilage, biomedical assays, and clinical diagnostics. Existing luminescence-based recognition methods for amines predominantly rely on fluorescence quenching, limiting the scope of sensitive and selective detection. Here, we present a fluorochromic approach for rapidly distinguishing different organic amines based on their unique excited-state and ground-state interactions with a naphthalimide derivative under ultraviolet light. Our findings reveal that the photoluminescence quantum yield and emission color are significantly influenced by the substituent group and the molecular flexibility of the amine. Specifically, primary amines, together with other common lone-pair donors, such as alcohol, ether, thiol, thioether, and phosphine, did not exhibit photoluminescence changes, while secondary amines exhibited only weak emission. For tertiary amines, however, bright green photoluminescence activation was rapidly produced for molecules containing at least one methyl group; red-shifted yellow emission was observed for ones with bulkier side groups other than methyl; and for conformationally locked bicycloamines, no emission was observed. In addition, this fluorochromic process of the naphthalimide derivative not only depends on tertiary amine substituent groups but also shows distinctly different ground- and excited-state photoluminescence dynamics in time-resolved spectroscopy. Based on these differences, a qualitative method is developed for visual recognition of natural and synthetic opioids, including heroin, fentanyl, and metonitazene, which is more facile and rapid compared to current methods such as the Marquis reagent kit, and could facilitate onsite testing, real-time monitoring, and streamlined workflows in both laboratory and field settings.

A Review on Analytical Techniques for Quantitative Detection of Biogenic Amines in Aquatic Products

Aquatic products contain a large amount of protein, which can promote the production of a variety of biogenic amines through the function of microorganisms. Biogenic amines are a broad category of organic substances that contain nitrogen and have a low molecular weight. The presence of biogenic amines can cause the deterioration and excessive accumulation of aquatic products, which can cause damage to human health. Therefore, it is essential to discover a fast, convenient, and easy to operate method for the determination of biogenic amines in aquatic products. In this paper, the function and research significance of biogenic amines are analyzed from the aspects of their formation, toxicological properties, harm to the human body, and control methods. Several common direct detection techniques and indirect techniques for biogenic amines are briefly introduced especially sensors. This review provides references for efficient detection in the future.

Development and validation of a rapid and simple HILIC-MS/MS method for the determination of biogenic amines in tuna fish

The production of biogenic amines (BAs), which are markers of both quality and safety in fish and fishery products, is influenced by the harvesting technique, handling, and other operations including those carried out on board the vessel. Scombroid dark-meat fish (e.g. tuna) are the fish species most frequently linked to histamine poisoning. The most commonly found BAs in fish are histamine, tyramine, putrescine, and cadaverine, which are produced when microbes decarboxylate the corresponding free amino acids. In this study, a rapid and cost-effective HILIC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the determination of putrescine, cadaverine, histamine and tyramine in tuna samples. A simple sample preparation procedure was followed using the solvent mixture MeOH/H2O (50/50, v/v), 0.1 % acetic acid for protein precipitation and analyte extraction. Intra- and inter-day accuracy, expressed as %Recovery (%R), ranged from 88.0 % (Cad) to 102.7 % (Tyr) and from 85.0 % (Cad) to 99.8 % (Tyr), respectively. Intra- and inter-day precision, expressed as %Relative Standard Deviation (%RSD), ranged from 0.4 % (Tyr, Put) to 3.3 % (His) and from 0.7 % (Tyr) to 5.0 % (Cad), respectively. Limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) varied from 0.0009 to 0.0940 mg/kg and from 0.0030 mg/kg to 0.3100 mg/kg, respectively, depending on the analyte. Regarding the potential toxic effects linked to biogenic amines in foods, samples examined in this study showed no risk. The proposed method is an important analytical tool for routine analysis of BAs in fish products.

Systematic evaluation of benzoylation for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of different analyte classes

LC-MS is an indispensable tool for small molecule analysis in many fields; however, many small molecules require chemical derivatization to improve retention on commonly used reversed-phase columns and increase ionization. Benzoyl chloride (BzCl) derivatization is commonly used for derivatization of primary and secondary amines and phenolic alcohols, though evidence exists that with proper reaction conditions (i.e., specific bases), other hydroxyl groups may be derivatized too. Previous studies have examined BzCl concentration, reaction times, and reaction temperatures for derivatization of amines and phenols for LC-MS analysis; however, use of different bases, base concentration, and extending to conditions to hydroxyl groups for LC-MS analysis has not been well-studied. To address this understudied area and identify reaction conditions for both amino and hydroxyl groups, we performed a systematic study of reaction conditions on multiple classes of potential targets. For selected derivatization methods, detection limits and performance in a variety of biological matrices were assessed. Results highlight the importance of tailoring derivatization methods for a given application as they varied by molecule and/or molecule class. Compared to the standard BzCl method commonly used, alternative methods were identified to better derivatize challenging analytes (glucosamine, choline, cortisol, uridine, cytidine) with detection limits reaching 1100, 9, 38, 170, and 67 nM compared to undetectable, 170, 86, 1000, and 86 nM respectively. Sub-nanomolar detection limits were achieved for norepinephrine with alternative derivatization approaches. Improved derivatization methods for several classes and molecules including nucleosides, steroids, and molecules containing hydroxyl groups were also identified.

The selective extraction of dietary polyamines from chicken breast using the application of a lab-on-a-chip electromembrane and dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Excessive dietary polyamines (PAs), including putrescine (PUT), spermine (SPM), and spermidine (SPD), have become a worldwide concern due to their carcinogenicity and reduced shelf life. A modern miniaturized on-chip electromembrane extraction (EME) has been applied to extract these compounds from chicken breast samples. This method is based fundamentally on ionic compounds' electrostatic attraction, diffusion, and solubility in the acceptor phase. The chemical structure of polyamines enables their efficient extraction using an electric driving force on a microchip device. HCl solution (0.1 mol L-1) was applied as an aqueous acceptor solvent. Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction was performed after EME to facilitate joining three-phase EME to GC-MS and improve the merit figures. The total ranges of 3.77-7.89 μg g-1, 3.48-7.02 μg g-1, and 0.78-2.20 μg g-1 were acquired as PUT, SPM and SPD concentrations in chicken breast, respectively. The results demonstrate that the level of PAs in fresh chicken breast samples is not concerning, but it may reduce the quality of chicken meat over time. This novel analytical technique has several advantages: high recovery, substantial quickness, remarkable selectivity, and good enrichment factors. This emerging method could be generalized to other studies to analyze different foodstuffs.

Recent advances in inspection technologies of food safety health hazards for fish and fish products

The development of reliable and sensitive detection methods is essential for addressing the escalating concerns surrounding fish and fish products, driven by increasing market demands. This comprehensive review presents recent advances in detection approaches, specifically focusing on microplastic, biological, and chemical hazards associated with these products. The overview encompasses 21 distinct detection methods, categorized based on the type of hazard they target. For microplastic hazards, six methods are visual, spectroscopic, and thermal analyses. Biological hazard identification relies on six approaches employing nucleic-acid sequence, immunological, and biosensor technologies. The investigation of chemical hazards encompasses ten methods, including chromatography, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, immunological, biosensor, and electrochemical techniques. The review provides in-depth insights into the basic principles, general characteristics, and the recognized advantages and disadvantages of each method. Moreover, it elaborates on recent advancements within these methodologies. The concluding section of the review discusses current challenges and outlines future perspectives for these detection methods. Overall, this comprehensive summary not only serves as a guide for researchers involved in fish safety and quality control but also emphasizes the significance of staying abreast of evolving detection technologies to ensure the continued safety of fish and fish products in response to emerging food safety hazards.