ANALYSIS OF NONPOLAR HETEROCYCLIC AMINES IN COOKED FOODS AND MEAT EXTRACTS USING GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Heat processing of muscle foods gives rise to the formation of mutagen ic and carcinogenic heterocyclic amines, often at ng/g levels. A gas c hromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) technique was introduced for the analysis of nonpolar heterocyclic amines in common cooked meats, pan residues, and meat extracts after solid-phase extraction. The muta genic heterocyclic amines 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1), 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), 2-amino- 9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (A alpha C) and 2-amino-3-methyl-9H-pyrido[2,3- b]indole (MeA alpha C) were identified in several samples in amounts u p to 8 ng/g. Also the comutagenic substances 1-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,3-b] indole (harman) and 9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole (norharman) were detected i n the samples in amounts up to almost 200 ng/g. The GC-MS method can b e applied without derivatisation of the sample. The technique offers h igh chromatographic efficiency, yielding detection limits for pure ref erences in the range 0.1-2 ng per injection. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.