Analysis of biogenic amines, alkaloids and their derivatives by TLC and HPLC

Biogenic amines, alkaloids, and their derivatives have been separated by ad sorption and partition chromatography. Adsorption TLC was performed on sili ca gel, normal-phase partition TLC was performed on bonded amino and diol p lates, and reversed-phase partition TLC on RP-18. A variety of mobile phase s was used. Biogenic amines and their derivatives were analyzed by reversed phase parti tion chromatography on RP-18 layers with acetate buffer-organic modifier (m ethanol, acetonitrile, or THF) binary mobile phases and the effect of mobil e phase modifier on the selectivity of the separation was established. The relationship between the R-M values of the compounds and the composition of the mobile phase was determined in terms of the function R-M =f(% (v/v) mo difier) for all the modifiers used. An RP-18 HPLC method with isocratic elution (90:10 (vh) pH 4.66 acetate buf fer-methanol) and fluorimetric detection has also been developed fur the si multaneous determination of biogenic amines and their derivatives without a derivatization step, The system has been tested with fluorimetric and diod e-array detection for the determination of biogenic amines in the presence of some alkaloids.