Assay for the (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of salsolinols in biological samples and foods with ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography using beta-cyclodextrin as a chiral mobile phase additive.

A chromatographic procedure was devised for the quantitative determination of the enantiomers of salsolinol and N-methylsalsolinol, which are biologically important alkaloids. The enantiomers of salsolinol and N-methylsalsolinol were completely separated using beta-cyclodextrin in a reversed-phase ion-pair system. The HPLC method was sensitive enough to detect the isoquinolines at a concentration less than 0.1 pmol per injection. The presence of (R)- and (S)-salsolinol was confirmed in fermented foods and beverages, while N-methylsalsolinol was not detected. On the other hand, the (R)-enantiomers of both salsolinol and N-methylsalsolinol were found to predominate in the human brain.