High-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of histamine and 1-methylhistamine in biological buffers

A method for the determination of histamine and its catabolite 1-methylhistamine (1-MH) was developed, using HPLC with fluorescence detection. Derivatization of both compounds occurred on-column with o-phthaldialdehyde dissolved in an alkaline borate buffer, followed by separation on a reversed phase C18 column. Histamine and 1-MH could be detected with comparable sensitivity (limit of quantification, 50 nM). The method was proven suitable to investigate catabolism of histamine by epithelia of pig colon. The method should be useful in research on histamine metabolism.