DETERMINATION OF CAFFEINE AND ISOHUMULONES IN SALIVA BY HPLC ANALYSIS

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) procedure was applied to investigate the occurrence of two widely consumed bitter substance s in human saliva: caffeine (CA) and iso-alpha-acids (IAA, beer bitter ing agents, so-called isohumulones, primarily isohumulone, isocohumulo ne, and isoadhumulone). An HPLC analysis with pre-extraction by dispos able cartridge was successfully applied to detect CA. CA was detected in the saliva of most CA users, but the amount of CA found in saliva w as not related to individual bitter taste sensitivity. IAA were not de tected in saliva of beer users by HPLC analysis.