SIMPLE AND HIGHLY SENSITIVE MASS FRAGMENTOGRAPHIC PROCEDURE FOR GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID DETERMINATIONS

A simple and rapid method for the determination of brain GABA was described. The tissue was homogenized in 0.1 M formic acid and the internal standard 5-amino-valeric acid was added. After centrifugation, an aliquot of the supernatant was evaporated and reacted at room temperature with a mixture of hexamethyldisilazane, trimethylchlorosilane and BSTFA [N,O-bis-trimethylsilyl-trifluoro-acetamide] in dry pyridine. After a short reaction time, a few microliters of the reaction mixture was directly analyzed by mass fragmentography. The sensitivity of the method allowed determination of GABA in micrograms of [rat] brain tissue.