title: A fluorometric assay for beta-phenylethylamine in human urine.
abstract: A sensitive and specific method for the fluorometric determination of beta-phenylethylamine (PEA) in human urine is described. PEA in urine was separated from phenylalanine and 5-hydroxytryptamine by n-heptane extraction, and determined by the ninhydrin reaction in the presence of L-leucyl-L-alanine. Using this method, the amounts of free PEA in urine samples of normal subjects and schizophrenics were measured. Normal subjects excreted 15.9 +/- 6.4 microgarm/day of free PEA, and chronic schizophrenics 9.3 +/- 2.7 microgram/day of free PEA. In normal subjects, the highest excretion of free PEA was observed in the period from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. in a day.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010627:Phenethylamines / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000652:urine*; D010649:Phenylalanine; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000652:urine; D012701:Serotonin; D012997:Solvents; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D010627:Phenethylamines; D012997:Solvents; D012701:Serotonin; D010649:Phenylalanine