Determination of some biogenic amines in rat plasma using high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) method

Abstract

Biogenic amines are compounds produced by human metabolism which, in small concentrations, exert physiological roles. In high concentrations, biogenic amines can become toxic. In addition to the in vivo generation, biogenic amines result from technological processes for the preparation and preservation of food products. These amines reach the body in concentrations higher than normal, triggering severe side effects. Therefore, quantification of biogenic amines in both food and biological fluids is of major interest. The aim of our study was to optimize and develop a modified HPLC/MS method for the simultaneous separation and quantification of rat plasma histamine, tyramine, cadaverine and putrescine. The proposed method is first applied for the determination of putrescine in rat plasma. The advantage of the method is the possibility of quantifying trace amounts without the time-consuming phase of derivatization.