Application of LC with Evaporative Light Scattering Detector for Biogenic Amines Determination in Fair Trade Cocoa-Based Products

In this study, the separation of eight biogenic amines (cadaverine, serotonin, histamine, spermidine, spermine, tyramine, putrescine and beta-phenylethylamine) by a liquid chromatography (LC) method with evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) was performed. The LC-ELSD method was validated by comparison of the results with those obtained through LC-ultraviolet (UV) determination, based on a pre-column dansyl chloride derivatisation step, and the recorded data showed as both analytical methods can be interchangeably used for biogenic amines determination. LC-ELSD methodology showed good precision and permitted to achieve, for standard solutions, limits of detection (LOD) ranging from 0.01 to 0.02 mu g ml(-1) and limits of quantitation (LOQ) ranging from 0.03 to 0.05 mu g ml(-1). The whole methodology, comprehensive of the homogenization-extraction process and LC-ELSD analysis, has been applied in the analysis of several samples of fair trade cocoa derivatives. The most abundant amine found was histamine for a total amount of biogenic amines in the range 5.81-38.82 mu g g(-1). The highest amounts of biogenic amines (BAs) were found in the most processed products but never representing a possible risk for consumer health, according to the toxicity levels reported in literature and regarded as acceptable.