Gas Chromatographic Determination of Cadaverine, Putrescine, and Histamine in Foods

Abstract

A GLC procedure for the quantitative determination of the diamines putrescine and cadaverine has been developed, using their perfluoropropionyl derivatives. The amines were extracted from foods with methanol; an internal standard, hexanediamine, was added and a dry residue of their hydrochloride salts was prepared. The salts were derivatized with perfluoropropionic anhydride by heating for 30 min at 50°C. The reaction mixture was separated on an alumina column to remove excess reagent, and the derivatives were eluted with a solution of 30% ethyl acetate in toluene. GLC separations were performed on a 3% OV-225 column held at 180°C. The retention times were 4.3,5.7, and 7.0 min for the derivatives for putrescine, cadaverine, and the internal standard, respectively. Less than 1 μg diamine/g tissue could be quantitated, using either an electron capture detector or a nitrogen-specific detector. The procedure was applied to cheese and a variety of fishery products. An increase in the diamines correlated with the presence of decomposition in some of the products. A collaborative study of the method is planned.