Liquid Chromatographic Determination of Biogenic Amines in Dry Sausages

National Veterinary Institute, Department of Chemistry, SF-00101, Helsinki, Finland A liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of biogenic amines found in dry sausages: tryptamine, phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, serotonin, tyramine, spermidine, and spermine. Amines were extracted with perchloric acid solution and derivatized with dansyl chloride. After derivatization, ammonia was added to remove an interfering peak near cadaverine. Liquid chromatographic separations were performed by using a Spherisorb ODS2 column and an ammonium acetate-acetonitrile gradient elution program. The limits of determination of the individual amines were 1-5 mg/kg. This method is also applicable to detection of amines in other food samples.

Aluminium, lead and cadmium concentrations in seminal plasma and spermatozoa, and semen quality in Finnish men

Aluminium, cadmium and lead concentrations in the spermatozoa and seminal plasma of 27 employees of two industrial companies, a refinery and a polyolefin factory, and 45 consecutive sperm donor candidates at a sperm bank were studied using atomic absorption measurements. The relationship between metal concentration and parameters of semen analysis was studied. A high concentration of aluminium in spermatozoa was correlated with decreased sperm motility. The concentrations of cadmium and lead were low and did not show any correlation with parameters of semen analysis. Aluminium may be one of the environmental pollutants causing impaired semen quality. The mean sperm concentrations were similar in the factory employees (96 x 10(6)/ml), in the sperm donor candidates of the comparison group (104 x 10(6)/ml) and in 352 donor candidates at the sperm bank of the Family Federation of Finland (107 x 10(6)/ml) between May 1993 and May 1995.

Contaminant exposure and effects in Baltic ringed and grey seals as assessed by biomarkers

The Baltic Sea ecosystem has suffered from a heavy pollutant load for more than three decades. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals have been of most concern due to their persistence and toxic properties. Ringed seals (Phoca hispida baltica) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) living in the Baltic Sea have been suffering from pathological impairments, including reproductive disturbances, which have resulted in a depressed reproductive capacity. We investigated several biochemical parameters as potential biomarkers for exposure to and effects of the contaminant load in the Baltic seals. Seals from less polluted areas were used as reference material in terms of the pollution load. In both Baltic seal populations, the levels of some biochemical parameters diverged from those in the reference seals, and some of these showed a clear correlation with the individual contaminant load. Of the potential bioindicators, we propose cytochrome P4501A activity and vitamin E levels, in blubber or plasma, as exposure biomarkers for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) in both species. The arylhydrocarbon receptor-mediated chemical-activated luciferase gene expression (CALUX) response reflects the whole PCB and DDT burden in ringed seals. Retinyl palmitate (vitamin A) levels showed a negative correlation with the individual POP load, and is proposed as potential effect biomarkers for the depletion of the vitamin A stores. As the nutritional levels of both vitamin A and E have an impact on the vitamin levels in the seals, more information on the dietary vitamin levels is needed before any conclusions can be drawn. As the relationship between biochemical parameters and contaminants varied between the two species, species-specific characteristics has to be considered when monitoring the health status and possible toxic effects of the contaminant load in ringed and grey seals.

The lead, cadmium and mercury concentrations in muscle, liver and kidney from Finnish pigs and cattle during 1987-1988

The lead, cadmium and mercury concentrations in muscle, liver and kidney from Finnish pigs and cattle were determined. The average wet weight lead concentrations in pig muscle, liver and kidney were 15 micrograms/kg, 38 micrograms/kg and 40 micrograms/kg, respectively. The corresponding concentrations for cattle were 13 micrograms/kg, 57 micrograms/kg and 110 micrograms/kg. The average wet weight cadmium concentrations were 1.5 micrograms/kg, 28 micrograms/kg and 170 micrograms/kg (pigs) and 1.3 micrograms/kg, 61 micrograms/kg and 350 micrograms/kg (cattle). The corresponding mercury concentrations were 11 micrograms/kg, 12 micrograms/kg and 14 micrograms/kg (pigs) and 11 micrograms/kg, 12 micrograms/kg and 15 micrograms/kg (cattle). The average concentrations were at or above the detection limit of the metal in question. According to the results obtained by the National Veterinary Institute, the cadmium concentration in pigs and cattle has decreased during the period 1973-1988. The provisional tolerable daily intake of lead/person (60 kg), recommended by GEMS/Food, is 0.43 mg. According to the results for lead levels in these products in Finland, a daily intake of 29 kg pig muscle, 33 kg cattle muscle, 11 kg pig liver, 8 kg cattle liver, 11 kg pig kidney or 4 kg cattle kidney would be required to reach this norm. The corresponding provisional tolerable daily intake of cadmium/person (60 kg) is 0.06 mg and is equivalent to 40 kg pig muscle, 46 kg cattle muscle, 2 kg pig liver, 1 kg cattle liver, 0.4 kg pig kidney and 0.2 kg cattle kidney. The validity of the methods was tested four times a year using spiked check samples.

The hemolytic activity of deoxynivalenol and T-2 toxin

The hemolytic effects of deoxynivalenol (DON) and T-2 toxin (T-2) individually on rat erythrocytes were studied at different concentrations. Sodium azide was used as an enzyme inhibitor to prevent T-2 toxin metabolism. The concentration of T-2 was controlled by GC-MS and no decrease of the toxin was found during the time of the experiment. In spite of the much higher toxicity of T-2 toxin to eucaryotic cells, DON and T-2 showed similar lytic activity toward erythrocytes at high and low concentrations. Neither of these toxins at a concentration of 130 micrograms/ml, produced significant hemolysis even after 11 hr incubation. This finding suggests that there is a threshold level for both T-2 and DON, below which the lytic reaction does not occur. An additional hemolysis test was conducted in the presence of mannitol, glutathione, ascorbic acid, alfa-tocopherol, and histidine. The assay demonstrated that all the compounds inhibited to some extent the hemolytic reaction of the toxins. It is suggested that DON and T-2 exert their toxicity on procaryotic cells in three different ways: by penetrating the phospholipid bilayer and acting at the subcellular level, by interacting with the cellular membranes, and by free radical mediated phospholipid peroxidation. Most probably, more than one mechanism operates at the same time.

Survival of Yersinia enterocolitica in Fermented Sausages Manufactured With Different Levels of Nitrite and Different Starter Cultures

The ability of Yersinia enterocolitica 0:3 to grow and survive during the manufacture of fermented sausages made with 0, 50, 80, 100, and 120 mg/kg added sodium nitrite and three different commercial starter cultures was determined. The sausage mass was inoculated to contain 1.7 × 10⁵ of Y. enterocolitica per g. Yersinia was not detected after 28 d in sausages made with 80, 100, or 120 mg/kg of sodium nitrite. All sausages manufactured without or with 50 mg/kg sodium nitrite harbored Yersinia during the test period of 35 d. The highest level of Yersinia (5.9 log₁₀ CFU/g) was detected in sausages made with no sodium nitrite and with Pediococcus acidilactici ©. In sausages made with Lactobacillus pentosus (A), the level of Yersinia was less than 2.0 log₁₀ CFU/g. In sausages made with Lactobacillus plantarum (B) and 50 mg/kg sodium nitrite, the level of Yersinia was 2.9 log₁₀ CFU/g. The pH values made with starters A, B, and C reached the pH values of 4.9, 5.2, and 5.4, respectively.

Liquid chromatographic determination of biogenic amines in dry sausages

A liquid chromatographic method is described for the determination of biogenic amines found in dry sausages: tryptamine, phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, serotonin, tyramine, spermidine, and spermine. Amines were extracted with perchloric acid solution and derivatized with dansyl chloride. After derivatization, ammonia was added to remove an interfering peak near cadaverine. Liquid chromatographic separations were performed by using a Spherisorb ODS2 column and an ammonium acetate-acetonitrile gradient elution program. The limits of determination of the individual amines were 1-5 mg/kg. This method is also applicable to detection of amines in other food samples.