A screening method for the simultaneous determination of putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, spermidine and spermine in fish by means of high pressure liquid chromatography of their 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulphonyl derivatives.

A simple and rapid method is described for the extraction, derivatization and subsequent determination by means of high pressure liquid chromatography of putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, spermidine and spermine as their 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulphonyl derivatives. The amines are extracted from the fish material by an aqueous trichloroacetic acid solution and derivatized by means of 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulphonylchloride (dansyl chloride). The reaction mixture is then injected on a RP-8 column using gradient elution to separate the amine derivatives. Use of the method results in a considerable saving with respect to both time and costs.