This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

A simple method for gas chromatographic analysis of volatile amines in fish muscle has been devised. The amines such as monomethylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, iso-propylamine, sec-butylamine, iso-butylamine, n-butylamine, pyrrolidine and iso-amylamine can be separated by this method. The sample solution subjected to gas chromatography was prepared by the following procedure. Two ml of perchloric acid extract of fish muscle was put into a smakll centrifugal tube with a stopper. To this were added one ml of n-amyl alchol and 2ml of 65% KOH, and the mixture was kept for 2-3min at 50°C. After shaking for one min, the mixture was centrifuged for 10min at 2000rpm. An aliquot of the supernatant (n-amyl alcohol layer) was aopplied to the gas chromatographic analysis. Using this method, changes in the concentrations of am, ines formed in carp mackerel and squid muscle during storage at room temperature were examined. Considerable amounts of monomethylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, iso-butlamine, n-propylamine and iso-amylamine were detected in putrid fish. The formation of dimethylamine and trimethylamine was distinctly observed in putrid carp muscle free of trimethylamine oxide. The addition ofbetaine to the carp muscle promoted the formation of trimethylamine. On the otber hand, the addition of choline resulted in a remarkable increase in not only trimethylamine but dimethylamine levels, depending on the concentration of the choline added.