Determination of Taurine in Foods by HPLC with On-Column Fluorescence Derivatization

Abstract

A simple and rapid method has been developed for the determination of taurine in foods by HPLC with an on-column fluorescence derivatization technique. Taurine was extracted from foods with water, and the crude extract was deproteinized with Carrez solution, followed by purification on a Bond Elut SCX cartridge column. Taurine was chromatographed on a polymer column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile and alkaline borate buffer solution containing o-phthaladehyde and 2-mercaptoethanol as derivatizing reagents. The average recoveries were greater than 90% for taurine added to various kinds of foods, such as milk products, shellfish, chicken egg and honey. Application of the method to the foods resulted in the detection of taurine in egg (1.26±0.15mg/100g) and honey (0.34±0.08mg/100g), in which taurine had not previously been found.