HPLC Determination of Carnosine in Commercial Canned Soups and Natural Meat Extracts

The skeletal muscle of vertebrates is a rich source of carnosine ( -alanyl- L -histidine). Fourteen commercially available canned soup products were screened for carnosine content by a simple and sensitive ion-exchange HPLC method. Carnosine in the soup fluid ranged from 0 to 0.35 mg/g sample. Though water soluble, carnosine was not detected in four of the nine samples of soup fluid which carried the tag `beefʹ in their labels. Among the commercially available natural meat extracts with Brix values varying from 52 to 78, beef meat extract with Brix 78 was comparatively rich in carnosine (37.5-38.2 mg/g sample) compared to bonito extract with Brix 6780, in which carnosine levels varied from 5.0 to 7.9 mg/g sample.