Analysis of biogenic amines in wines by salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection.

Biogenic amines are nitrogenous organic compounds of low molecular weight that are either formed or metabolized in cells of living organisms and can be found in several food products, being produced mainly by amino acid decarboxylation. When ingested in high concentrations they can induce several health problems in humans. In alcoholic beverages, and especially in wine, they are formed during the vinification process as a result of the action of microorganisms. In this work it is proposed a new methodology for the determination of biogenic amines in wines, which includes a sample preparation approach based on salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction, the use of dansyl chloride for the derivatization and chromatographic separation by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection. The salting-out effect is used to promote phase separation between water and a water-miscible organic solvent, while improving the extraction of organic or inorganic species. Several extraction parameters were optimized, such as the dansyl chloride concentration, pH and the effects caused by the order in which the extraction and derivatization were performed. Extraction of amines, and consequent detection, depends on the presence of dansyl chloride in solution prior to extraction. The results showed the possibility to simultaneously perform the extraction and the derivatization, making sample preparation easier and less time-consuming. The methodology was successfully applied to the determination of biogenic amines in five wines (white, red and rosé). This method has the potential to be a good alternative to existing methods since it is cheaper, easier and simplifies the sample preparation step.