Optimization of the analytical extraction of polyamines from milk

Polyamines play an important role as growth promoters, in the maturation of the intestinal tract of infants and in the modulation of the immune response; consequently, the importance of polyamines in the diet of infants and adults is well established. However, information on the occurrence and levels of polyamines in cowʹs milk and milk from other species (including human milk) is contradictory. Furthermore, the methods used for the extraction of amines from these samples vary widely. Therefore, a method for the accurate analysis of amines in milk from different species and in milk products is needed. A sequential strategy of experimental designs was used to optimize the analytical extraction of polyamines from milk. The dependent variables that significantly affected the recoveries were screened through a Plackett–Burman design. Sulfosalicylic acid (SSA) provided better recoveries compared to trichloroacetic acid. Centrifugation time and speed during extraction were independent variables. The Central Composite Rotational Design used to optimize the dependent variables indicated that the optimal conditions for the extraction of polyamines were 40 s vortexing, four successive extractions, and an SSA concentration of 1.5%. These conditions provided recoveries ≥92.8% and CV ≤ 5.8%. The experiments confirmed the predicted results, indicating that the optimized conditions and models used were effective in the determination of amines from milk. Samples of raw milk and milk beverages were observed to be poor sources of spermine and spermidine, whereas human milk contained both amines.