Determination of 6 biogenic amines in food using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry without derivatization

A rapid and simple method for the determination of 6 biogenic amines (BAs) in food was established on HPLC-MS /MS without derivatization. Samples were extracted with 5% perchloric acid and cleaned with n-hexane for lipid removal. The analytes were separated on Waters XBridge (R) HILIC (150 mm x 2.1 mm, 3.5 mu m) and analyzed with multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode after positive electrospray ionization on HPLC-MS/MS. Good linearity with high correlation coefficient was obtained between 10-1000 mu g/L for cadaverine (CAD), putrescine (PUT), tyramine (TYR) and 2-phenylethylamine (2-PHE) and between 1-100 mu g/L for histamine (HIS) and tryptamine (TRY), with the detection limits of the method ranging from 0.1 mg/kg for HIS and TRY, and 1.0 mg/kg for CAD, PUT, TYR and 2-PHE, which are under the residue limit of Chinese regulation. Spiking experiments demonstrated good recoveries between 70.2-114.6%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) between 0.44-13.01%. This method was validated for BAs determination in liquor, fermented meat products, vegetable products, soybean products, dairy products, seafood and its derived products. These results promise high feasibility for BAs monitoring in various food with easy-to-operate and fast sample preparation process, stable analysis on HPLC-MS/MS without derivatization. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A rapid and simple method for the determination of 6 biogenic amines in food was established on HPLC-MS/MS without derivatization, showing good linearity, high correlation coefficient, and low detection limits. The method demonstrated good recoveries and stability, making it suitable for monitoring biogenic amines in various food products.