Chromatographic determination of amino acids in foods

Amino acids in foods exist in a free form or bound in peptides, proteins, or nonpeptide bonded polymers. Naturally occurring L-amino acids are required for protein synthesis and are precursors for essential molecules, such as co-enzymes and nucleic acids. Nonprotein amino acids may also occur in animal tissues as metabolic intermediates or have other important functions. The development of bacterially derived food proteins, genetically modified foods, and new methods of food processing; the production of amino acids for food fortification; and the introduction of new plant food sources have meant that protein amino acids and amino acid enantiomers in foods can have both nutritional and safety implications for humans. There is, therefore, a need for the rapid and accurate determination of amino acids in foods. Determination of the total amino acid content of foods requires protein hydrolysis by various means that must take into account variations in stability of individual amino acids and resistance of different peptide bonds to the hydrolysis procedures. Modern methods for separation and quantitation of free amino acids either before or after protein hydrolysis include ion exchange chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography (LC), gas chromatography, and capillary electrophoresis. Chemical derivatization of amino acids may be required to change them into forms amenable to separation by the various chromatographic methods or to create derivatives with properties, such as fluorescence, that improve their detection. Official methods for hydrolysis and analysis of amino acids in foods for nutritional purposes have been established. LC is currently the most widely used analytical technique, although there is a need for collaborative testing of methods available. Newer developments in chromatographic methodology and detector technology have reduced sample and reagent requirements and improved identification, resolution, and sensitivity of amino acid analyses of food samples.     

Recent advances in amino acid analysis by capillary electrophoresis

Amino acids are studied extensively using capillary electrophoresis. In this review we will report the different researchs which have been done in the literature since 1998. We will describe the developments of, detection methods, separations of enantiomers, the new medical applications, and amino acids in food and plants.     

Determination of amino acids in tobacco samples by capillary electrophoresis/indirect absorbance detection with isolation of the electrolysis compartment and p-Aminobenzoic acid as a background electrolyte.

A fast, convenient and sensitive method of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) and indirect UV detection was proposed for the determination of 16 amino acids. p-Aminobenzoic acid (PAB) was selected as a background electrolyte (BGE). An isolated cell included a BGE buffer part and an electrode buffer one, which were jointed with a glass frit. The isolated cell can prevent PAB from the electrode reaction and improve the stability of the detection baseline. The separation conditions of amino acids were investigated, such as different BGEs, BGE concentration, buffer pH and electroosmotic flow (EOF) modifiers. Under the selected separation conditions, 14 amino acid peaks could be separated in 12 min. The detection limits of the amino acids were in the range of 1.7 - 4.5 micromol/L. The isolated cell is suitable for reagents reacting on the electrodes in capillary electrophoresis. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of the amino acids in tobacco samples.     

Homocyclic o-dicarboxaldehydes: Derivatization reagents for sensitive analysis of amino acids and related compounds by capillary and microchip electrophoresis

Amino acids are essential compounds for living organisms, and their determination in biological fluids is crucial for the clinical analysis and diagnosis of many diseases. However, the detection of most amino acids is hindered by the lack of a strong chromophore/fluorophore or electrochemically active group in their chemical structures. The highly sensitive determination of amino acids often requires derivatization. Capillary electrophoresis is a separation technique with excellent characteristics for the analysis of amino acids in biological fluids. Moreover, it offers the possibility of precapillary, on-capillary, or postcapillary derivatization. Each derivatization approach has specific demands in terms of the chemistry involved in the derivatization, which is discussed in this review. The family of homocyclic o-dicarboxaldehyde compounds, namely o-phthalaldehyde, naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde, and anthracene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde, are powerful derivatization reagents for the determination of amino acids and related compounds. In the presence of suitable nucleophiles they react with the primary amino group to form both fluorescent and electroactive derivatives. Moreover, the reaction rate enables all of the derivatization approaches mentioned above. This review focuses on articles that deal with using these reagents for the derivatization of amino acids and related compounds for ultraviolet-visible spectrometry, fluorescence, or electrochemical detection. Applications in capillary and microchip electrophoresis are summarized and discussed.     

Quantitative analysis of fluorimated ethylchloroformate derivatives of non-protein amino acids using positive and negative chemical ionization gas chromatography-mass spectometry

The GC-MS characterization of the ethylchloroformate derivatives of amino acids in an aqueous medium has been applied to non-protein amino acids. Derivatization of non-protein amino acids using ethylchloroformate, trifluoroethanol, and pyridine produced strong [M + 1]⁺ and [M - 1]⁻ ions in positive and negative chemical ionization (CI) modes, respectively. Twenty-one out of the twenty-three non-protein amino acids studied produced detectable ion chromatograms in both ionization modes when methane was used as the CI reagent gas. Mass spectra of these non-protein amino acid derivatives showed characteristic [M - 19]⁺, [M + 1]⁺, [M + 29]⁺, and [M + 41]⁺ peaks in the positive chemical ionization mode, and [M - 1]⁻, and [M + 35]⁻ peaks in the negative chemical ionization mode. The detection limits and the linear dynamic range of trifluorethanol ethylchloroformate derivatives of non-protein amino acids were studied using positive chemical ionization. The detection limits are mostly in the femtomole range.     

Microchip capillary electrophoresis/electrochemistry

Microfabricated fluidic devices have generated considerable interest over the past ten years due to the fact that sample preparation, injection, separation, derivatization, and detection can be integrated into one miniaturized device. This review reports progress in the development of microfabricated analytical systems based on microchip capillary electrophoresis (CE) with electrochemical (EC) detection. Electrochemical detection has several advantages for use with microchip electrophoresis systems, for example, ease of miniaturization, sensitivity, and selectivity. In this review, the basic components necessary for microchip CEEC are described, including several examples of different detector configurations. Lastly, details of the application of this technique to the determination of catechols and phenols, amino acids, peptides, carbohydrates, nitroaromatics, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, organophosphates, and hydrazines are described.     

Quantitative determination of amino acids in functional foods by microchip electrophoresis

Microchip electrophoresis (MCE), a first-generation micrototal analysis system, has emerged during the miniaturization phase of food analysis. Based on the micellar electrokinetic chromatography mode, a simple and fast MCE method with light emitting diode-induced fluorescence detection was developed for quantitative analysis of amino acids in three different kinds of functional foods, viz. sports beverages, jelly-form beverages, and tablet-form functional foods. In contrast to the glass microchip, we improved the separation of amino acids on a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) chip by addition of cationic starch derivatives. 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole, which has a short labeling time for amino acids, was used as the fluorescently labeled dye. This MCE method takes less than 10 min of total analysis time including sample preparation and analysis of amino acids in functional foods on a PMMA chip. The results show that this approach has the potential to be a fast and simple method for amino acid analysis in functional foods.     

Determination of Neurotoxin b-ODAP and Non-protein Amino Acids in Lathyrus Sativus by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Precolumn Derivatization with 6-Amino quinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl Carbamate (AQC)

A new method was developed for the quantitative determination of the neurotoxic non-protein amino acid, 3-N-oxalyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (b -ODAP), its nontoxic a -isomer and other non-protein amino acids in the plant samples of Lathyrus sativus after derivatization with 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (AQC) by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). 2-Amino butyric acid (ABA) was used as an internal standard. The RP HPLC detection limit for both isomers is 1.8 ng with good response linearity. The results are compared with a colorimetric method.     

Application de la chromatographie sur échangeur d'ions a l'étude de la composition des aliments en acides amines

A detailed procedure is presented for the determination of the amino acid composition of foods by chromatography of the hydrolysates on columns of Dowex-50 by the method of Moore and Stein. Nearly all of the common amino acids can be determined. The measurement of methionine, however, is complicated by partial oxidation of the amino acid to the sulfoxide during acid hydrolysis. A satisfactory chromatographic method for tryptophan has not been obtained as yet. Cross-reference is given to the auxiliary development of a Chromatographic method for the determination of cystine (in the presence of carbohydrate) as cysteic acid and to the utilization of these combined techniques in the analysis of several foods of importance in human and animal nutrition.     

Overview of chromatographic and electrophoretic methods for the determination of branched-chain amino acids

The significance of branched-chain amino acids in diseases was clearly shown over the years. This review aims to describe the available techniques for their analytical determination. The article provides examples of the use of various analytical methods. The methods are divided into two categories: derivatization and non-derivatization approaches. Separation is achieved through different chromatography or capillary electrophoresis techniques and can be combined with different detectors such as flame ionization, ultraviolet, fluorescence, and mass spectrometry. It compares the application of various derivatization reagents or detection as such for different detectors.     

Separation and Determination of Amino Acids by CE Using 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium-Based Ionic Liquid as Background Electrolyte

Capillary electrophoresis using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate as background electrolyte for the separation and determination of 11 amino acids was studied. Several parameters, such as ionic liquid concentration, pH of background electrolyte and applied voltage, were optimized. Amino acids were derived with Sanger’s reagent (2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene) and the detection was performed by an ultraviolet absorption detector at 360 nm. Under selected conditions, 11 amino acids were completely separated within 16 min. The RSD values of integrated areas and migration times are <3.03 and <1.64%, respectively. The electroosmotic flow can be influenced by imidazolium cation, and the association between the imidazolium cation and the derived amino acids plays an important role in the separation mechanism. This method not only provides an approach for the separation and determination of amino acids, but is also an extension of the ionic liquid application to capillary electrophoresis.     

Analysis of Amino Acids in a Single Human Red Blood Cell by Capillary Zone Electrophoresis with Intracellular NDA—derivatization and Electrochemical Detection

A novel method for determination of amino acids in individual red blood cells has been developed. In this method, the derivatization reagents (NDA and CN^-) are introduced into living cells by electroporation. After completion of derivatization,the amino acids in a single cell is determined by capillary zone electrophoresis with end-column amperometric detection.     

高效毛细管电泳 间接紫外吸收检测法测定食品中的氨基酸

研究了鸟氨酸、脯氨酸和谷氨酰胺的高效毛细管电泳 间接紫外吸收检测的特征。以5　mmol/L 对氨基苯磺酸钠 10 mmol/L KH2PO4(pH 11.5)为运行缓冲液,在分离电压12 kV下,于11 min实现了上述3种氨基酸的基线分离,迁移时间和峰高的相对标准偏差分别小于0.72%和2.0%,检测限分别为6.78,8.71,7.86 mg/L。应用该法测定食品中的氨基酸及各氨基酸在样品中的加标回收率,3种氨基酸的加标回收率为96.8%~104%。     

A capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry methodology for the determination of non-protein amino acids in vegetable oils as novel markers for the detection of adulterations in olive oils

A new analytical methodology based on capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (CE-MS(2)) is presented in this work, enabling the identification and determination of six non-protein amino acids (ornithine, β-alanine, GABA, alloisoleucine, citrulline and pyroglutamic acid) in vegetable oils. This methodology is based on a previous derivatization with butanol and subsequent separation using acidic conditions followed by on-line coupling to an ion trap analyzer for MS(2) detection established through an electrospray-coaxial sheath flow interface. The electrophoretic and interface parameters were optimized obtaining the separation of all compounds in less than 15 min and with resolutions higher than 5. The proposed method was validated by assessing its accuracy, precision (RSD<7% for corrected peak areas), LODs and LOQs (between 0.04-0.19 ng/g and 0.06-0.31 ng/g, respectively) and linearity range (R(2)>0.99), and it was used in order to identify the selected non-protein amino acids in soybean oils, sunflower oils, corn oils and extra virgin olive oils. MS(2) experiments performed the fingerprint fragmentation of these compounds allowing to corroborate ornithine and alloisoleucine in seed oils but not in olive oils. The method was applied to identify and quantify olive oil adulterations with soybean oil detecting in a single run the amino acids in mixtures up to 2% (w/w). The results showed a high potential in using these compounds as novel markers for the detection of adulterations of extra virgin olive oils with seed oils. Thus, the developed method could be considered a simple, rapid and reliable method for the quality evaluation of extra virgin olive oil permitting its authentication.     

Capillary electrophoresis method for the analysis of inorganic anions, organic acids, amino acids, nucleotides, carbohydrates and other anionic compounds.

A previously developed capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method with indirect UV detection for the simultaneous determination of inorganic and organic anions, amino acids and carbohydrates using 20 mM 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (PDC) as the background electrolyte was extended to allow determination of 206 anions including those above--mentioned and physiological amino acids, nucleotides, aromatic acids, haloacetic acids, alcohols, phosphorylated saccharides, oxyhalides, metal oxoacids, metal-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) complexes, forensic anions, Good's buffers and herbicides. Every compound could be analyzed and their electrophoretic mobility determined simply by selecting detection wavelength. This method is simple and universal for anion analysis, and could be readily applied to the simultaneous determination of anionic compounds. In this work, it was used to identify and quantify important anions in sea urchin and sake.     

Recent advancements in amino acid analysis using capillary electrophoresis

Recent advances in the analysis of amino acids using capillary electrophoresis are addressed. This area of research continues to receive increased attention as is evident from the 62 references reviewed. This review discusses current detection strategies including UV absorbance, laser-induced fluorescence, electrochemical, and others. Separation methodologies for both derivatized and underivatized amino acids are reviewed. Both direct and indirect enantiomeric resolution of amino acids are addressed. Applications utilizing capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of amino acids are discussed. This review covers literature published in 1997 and 1998.     

Applications of capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection in pharmaceutical and biomedical analyses

As a high efficiency separation technique, capillary electrophoresis has been widely used in various fields of analytical science. This review discusses the applications of electrochemical detection systems combined with capillary electrophoresis in pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis. These detection methods mainly involve amperometric detection but also include conductivity detection and potentiometric detection. Its applications in the field are divided into six parts, including catechol compounds, thiols, amino acids and peptides, carbohydrates, general pharmaceuticals, and other related compounds. A relatively detailed discussion is described for each compound under the current studied. On this basis, we have suggested several conceivable directions for capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection in the future.     

Rapid determination of amino acids in foods by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry

This study describes a rapid and sensitive analytical method for the determination of amino acids in foods and drinks. The method entailed dilution or extraction of amino acids from foods using the mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1% aqueous formic acid (50:50, v/v). Chromatographic separation of underivatized amino acids was performed using a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography within a runtime of 6 min. Both hydrophobicity and charge of the side chain played important roles on the elution order of amino acids under the chromatographic conditions. High-resolution mass spectrometry allowed qualitative and quantitative detection of amino acids in complex food matrices. Its response was found linear over a concentration range of 0.25-10 μg/ml. The method could be successfully applied to various foods and drinks to profile individual amino acids. Mean percentage recoveries of amino acids from different matrices were 88.5% or higher with residual standard deviation of less than 5.0%.     

Determination of free amino acids in infant food by capillary zone electrophoresis with mass spectrometric detection

A method for the quantitative determination of free amino acids in infant food samples using capillary electrophoresis (CE) with electrospray-mass spectrometric (ESI-MS) detection is presented. According to the zwitterionic nature of the analytes, two different modes of separation as well as detection were tested; highly acidic carrier electrolytes combined with MS detection in the positive ion mode proved to be the optimum solution. Sensitivity as well as linearity of the method were sufficient to allow the analysis of all solutes of interest in a single run. In this way, free amino acids could be analyzed in a variety of infant food preparations without any sample pretreatment or derivatization step.