Screening for amines of psychiatric interest in urine using gas chromatography with electron-capture detection

Abstract

• 1.

  1. An electron-capture gas chromatographic procedure for the simultaneous quantitation of urinary levels of amines of psychiatric interest has been developed.

• 2.

  2. The amines were isolated from urine using a liquid ion exchanger, then acetylated and perfluoroacylated for analysis. This procedure improved extraction efficiency and analytical sensitivity.

• 3.

  3. The developed procedure was rapid, simple, specific and sensitive.

• 4.

  4. Urinary levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine, 3-methoxytyramine, normetanephrine, 2-phenylethylamine, tryptamine, $\text{m}$- and $\text{p}$-tyramine in control subjects were determined using this analytical procedure and agreed with literature values.