Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analysis of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-(4-hydroxyphenyl)imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine in cooked meats

Several cooked meats such as beef (fried, coated-fried), pork (fried, coated-fried), and chicken (fried, griddled, coated-fried, roasted) were analyzed for the heterocyclic amine 2-amino-1-methyl-6-(4-hydroxyphenyl)imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (4′-OH-PhIP) not commonly determined in food and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP). The highest content of 4′-OH-PhIP was found in fried and griddled chicken breast, the concentration being 43.7 and 13.4 ng/g, respectively, whereas the corresponding PhIP concentrations were 19.2 and 5.8 ng/g. The estimated concentration of both pyridines in fried pork loin, in fried pork sausages, and in coated-fried chicken was below 2.5 ng/g. In the rest of the samples, 4′-OH-PhIP was not detected. The analyses were performed by solid-phase extraction and LC-MS/MS. The fragmentation of 4′-OH-PhIP in an ion trap mass analyzer was studied in order to provide information for the identification of 4′-OH-PhIP. Additionally, the effect of red wine marinades on the formation of 4′-OH-PhIP in fried chicken was examined, finding a notable reduction (69%) in the amine’s occurrence.