Gas Chromatographic Determination of 1-Methy1-1, 2, 3, 4-Tetrahydro-β-Carboline

(1-MTHBC) in Alcoholic Beverages

Abstract

It has been shown that sake and other alcoholic beverages contain a small amount of 1-methyl1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro-β-carboline (1-MTHBC), which may enhance the mutagenic activities of many compounds. In this study, we examined a method of 1-MTHBC determination in alcoholic drinks by gas chromatograph equipped with flame thermionic detector (GC-FTD) and measured it in various kinds of alcoholic beverages. Prior to GC analysis, 1-MTHBC was extracted into isoamyl alcohol in toluene followed by acylation with pentafluoropropionic anhydride, The concentration of 1-MTHBC ranging from 3.4 to 49.8 ppb was observed in 23 of 24 brands of beer tested with one exception of which the content was considerably high (127 ppb). The 1-MTHBC levels in other 73 alcoholic beverages including many kinds of wine, sake, liqueur and others were also relatively low and remained less than 40.4 ppb in most cases. All of the distilled liquors (whisky, brandy and shochu) contained the 1-MTHBC less than the detection limits in this method (0.1 ppb). It is concluded that this GC method for 1-MTHBC is sensitive enough to measure the contents in the alcoholic beverages.