Procedural difficulties in the gas-liquid chromatographic assay of the arylalkylamines.

A gas-liquid chromatographic method for the estimation of 2-phenylethylamine in rat brain tissue is described. The procedure involves initial separation of the amine from homogenates with ion-exchange chromatography, subsequent acetylation of the eluate and extraction of the N-acetylated amine with ethyl acetate. The N-acetyl-2-phenylethylamine derivative is then converted to the pentafluoropropionyl derivative and quantitated with electron capture detection. Difficulties involved with alternative separative procedures and derivative formation are discussed.