Determination of heterocyclic amines by pneumatically assisted electrospray liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was applied to the study of the amines IQ, Trp-P-1, Trp-P-2, PhIP and A alpha C and the co-mutagens harman and norharman. The results obtained on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with a pneumatically assisted electrospray source are reported. The chromatographic conditions were optimized with a reversed-phase column (1 mm I.D.) using acetonitrile-5 mM ammonium acetate (pH 6.7) (50:50) as the mobile phase at a flow-rate of 50 microliters min-1. Different parameters influencing the mass spectra were investigated. For these compounds [M + H]+ in the positive-ion mode and also some fragments produced through collisionally activated decomposition in the interface were observed. Detection limits of 5.4-44 pg were obtained for standard solutions of these amines. Analysis of a meat extract was performed by HPLC-MS using single-ion monitoring after a solid-phase extraction clean-up.