Application of 3,5-bis-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl isothiocyanate for the determination of selected biogenic amines by LC-tandem mass spectrometry and 19 F NMR.

3,5-Bis-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl isothiocyanate, was used as a convenient reagent for the derivatization of histamine, tyramine, tryptamine and 2-phenylethylamine, which eliminates the purification step. The obtained derivatives were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Additionally, the total amount of these amines was determined by19 F nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. The procedures were optimized and validated for linearity, limit of detection and quantification, intra- and inter-day precision and recovery resulting in good reproducibility and accuracy. The reagent was applied for determination of the above mentioned biogenic amines in beverages, and permitted an undemanding separation and determination of the derivatives. Moreover, it is a convenient reagent for analysis of the total amine content by quantitative19 F NMR.