Determination of biogenic amines in fresh and processed meat by ion chromatography and integrated pulsed amperometric detection on Au electrode

A selective cation exchange chromatographic method, coupled to integrated pulsed amperometric detection, has been developed to quantify biogenic amines in fresh and processed meat. The method is based on gradient elution of aqueous methanesulfonic acid with post column addition of a strong base to obtain suitable conditions for amperometric detection. A potential wave-form able to keep long time performance of the Au electrode was set up. The analysis time is about 68 min. Amounts of tyramine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, agmatine, spermidine and spermine were measured, after extraction with perchloric acid. The method was used to determine analytes in fresh and processed meat. Analyte quantification was made with external calibration method after demonstration that matrix effects were not present. All analytes were identified in real samples except phenethylamine which is eluted in a zone of the chromatogram rich of interfering peaks. Repeatabilities, computed on their amounts in real samples, were better than 9% for all of them. Detection limits were computed according to the Hubaux–Vos method. The obtained values ranged between 0.70 and 2.12 mg/l corresponding to 7–21 mg/kg, low enough to determine all analytes in real matrices.