Characterization of Biogenic Amines in Seven Kinds of Traditional Chinese Animal Medicines by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Precolumn Derivatization

Animal medicine (AM), as a kind of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used for thousands of years. However, sometimes AM can cause a variety of side effects similar to those caused by biogenic amines (BAs). So far, there has been no information about the type and content of BAs in AMs. Thus, an HPLC method with precolumn derivatization was developed for the characterization of ten kinds of BAs in seven commonly used AMs to provide referential data for the safety profile of AMs. The described method has good repeatability and reproducibility for the quantification of BAs in seven kinds of AMs. Among the ten selected BAs, histamine in Scolopendra was found to be 96 ± 4 mg/kg, exceeding the limit regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Although the levels of BAs in Scorpio, Hirudo, Bombyx Batryticatus, Gecko, Pheretima, and Eupolyphaga Steleophaga are below the amine toxicity level currently regulated and are safe to use individually, AMs are often used in combination with other TCMs containing BAs. This would lead to the overdose of toxic BAs. Therefore, it is necessary to propose limit standards for BAs in AMs and their polypharmacy to ensure their safety profiles and improve the quality standards.