Validation of a 1H-NMR Spectroscopy Quantitative Method to Quantify Trimethylamine Content and K-Index Value in Different Species of Fish

Abstract

The chemical analysis that is frequently employed for the evaluation of the freshness of fish includes (i) the quantification of trimethylamine (TMA) and (ii) the estimation of the K-Index, based on the ratio between the concentrations of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and its breakdown products. TMA is quantified using a colorimetric reference method (AOAC), while the K-Index is usually determined by HPLC. The present work proposes a method for the above freshness biomarkers based on HR 1H-NMR as an alternative method able to assess both indexes simultaneously on aqueous fish extracts. To validate the proposed 1H-NMR method, a large set of validation checks has been addressed, such as accuracy, precision, specificity, limits of detection, linearity, and range of linearity and quantification according to EuroChem guidelines. The results show that the methodology satisfies all the validation requirements at the same level as the most frequently used methods, with the advantage of being faster and more repeatable, avoiding the use of solvents, such as toluene and formaldehyde, or dangerous reagents such as picric acid.