Trimethylamine and total volatile basic nitrogen determination by flow injection/gas diffusion in Mediterranean hake (Merluccius merluccius)

J Agric Food Chem. 2001 Apr;49(4):1681-6. doi: 10.1021/jf000649n.

Abstract

The reliability of flow injection/gas diffusion (FIGD) methods to determine trimethylamine (TMA-N) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) in hake was studied in order to find an alternative and accurate, simple, cheap, and rapid method for non-protein nitrogen determination. FIGD methods involved extracting volatile amines with 7.5% trichloroacetic acid, followed by the injection of the extracts into the FIGD manifold, previously adjusted for TMA-N or TVB-N determinations. Each determination took approximately 2 min. Reliability was satisfactory in linearity, precision, recovery, and sensitivity. There was good correlation (p < 0.001) between FIGD and the classic official methods, for both TMA-N and TVB-N determinations, and also between FIGD and the gas chromatographic procedure described for TMA-N. These results proved that FIGD methods are simpler, cheaper, and faster than current official procedures. To check the suitability of FIGD procedures over a wide range of analyte concentrations, changes of both TMA-N and TVB-N and the P ratio values throughout the ice storage of hake were monitored. The usefulness of each of these potential freshness indicators for hake is discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Diffusion
  • Fishes*
  • Flow Injection Analysis / methods*
  • Food Preservation / standards
  • Methylamines / analysis*
  • Nitrogen / analysis*
  • Seafood / analysis
  • Seafood / standards*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Volatilization

Substances

  • Methylamines
  • trimethylamine
  • Nitrogen