A GC-MS method for quantitation of histamine and other biogenic amines in beer

A GC-MS method has been developed for simultaneous measurement of the concentrations of 22 volatile and non-volatile biogenic amines (methylamine, dimethylamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, propylamine, isopropylamine, butylamine, isobutylamine, amylamine, isoamylamine, 2-methylbutylamine, hexylamine, pyrrolidine, piperidine, morpholine, 1,3-diaminopropane, putrescine, cadaverine, 1,6-diaminohexane, beta -phenylethylamine, tyramine, and histamine) in alcoholic beverages. The method was based on a previously reported two-phase derivatization procedure with isobutyl chloroformate, which reacted quantitatively with all the amines in 10 min. After eliminating excess reagent, by treatment with alkaline methanol or by evaporation (tyramine and histamine determination), the derivatized extracts were analyzed by GC-MS with single-ion monitoring (SIM). Quantitation of amines was achieved by use of a set of eight different internal standards, including five deuterated isotopic analogs. The method has excellent analytical characteristics. It has been used to assay the concentrations of these biogenic amines in thirteen samples of commercially available beers. Eleven biogenic amines were found in all the samples; putrescine (maximum 6.9 mg L-1) and tyramine (maximum 1.7 mg L-1) were the most abundant. Histamine was found in all samples at very low levels (maximum 147 mug L-1).