Determination of Free and Total Underivatized Amino Acids Including L-Canavanine in Bitter Vetch Seeds Using Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography

A new hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography method coupled with diode-array detector was developed for the determination of 17 underivatized amino acids including L-canavanine in bitter vetch [Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd.] seeds. Amino acids were extracted as free as well as total extracts after acid hydrolysis, followed by chromatographic separation on a Zorbax Rx-SIL column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile/potassium phosphate buffer (12.5?mM; pH 3.0) using gradient elution and detection at 190?nm. The method is characterized by a wide linear range (0.01–200?µg/mL, r?>?0.9987), sufficient accuracy (relative error 86.3–109.1%), and suitable precision for the results (relative standard deviation <4.9% in the case of intra-day and <9.8% in the case of inter-day precision). The limits of detection and quantification for free amino acids ranged from 0.01 to 0.24?mg/g and 0.03 to 0.72?mg/g, respectively, whereas the total amino acids ranged from 0.02 to 0.47?mg/g and 0.07 to 1.43?mg/g, respectively. The mean recoveries of free and total amino acids in spiked samples exceeded 70.3% for most amino acids. The mean total content of free and total amino acids in bitter vetch seeds was 1.71 and 14.88?g/100?g seed, whereas the corresponding values for canavanine were 0.07 and 0.19?g/100?g seed, respectively.     

Determination of 4-aminobutyric acid, aspartate, glutamate and glutamine and their 13C stable-isotopic enrichment in brain tissue by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A selected-ion monitoring method was developed for measuring 4-aminobutyric acid, aspartate, glutamate, and glutamine in brain tissue. Natural isotopes of these amino acids and their stable-isotopic enrichment following intravenous infusion of a precursor, [13C]glucose, were quantitated. Frozen mouse brain tissue was homogenized in cold 80% ethanol, and the supernatant, equivalent to 1 mg of wet weight brain tissue, was extracted using solid-phase bonded silica ion-exchange columns. Aspartate and glutamate (dicarboxylic acids) were isolated from strong anion-exchange columns, whereas 4-aminobutyric acid and glutamine (neutral amino acids) were isolated from strong-cation exchange columns. n-Butyl ester pentafluoropropionyl amide derivatives of these amino acids were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using a methane positive chemical ionization mode after gas chromatographic separation on a wide-bore, fused-silica capillary column. The method is applicable to determination of brain concentrations of these amino acids as well as their fluxes following administration of a stable-isotopic tracer.     

Enantiomeric separation of unusual secondary aromatic amino acids

Summary High-performance liquid chromatographic and gas chromatographic methods were developed for the separation of unusual secondary aromatic amino acids. Amino acids containing 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronorharmane-1-carboxylic acid and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-3-carboxy-2-carboline moieties were synthetized in racemic or chiral forms. The high-performance liquid chromatography was carried out either on a teicoplanin-containing chiral stationary phase or on an achiral C₁₈ column. In the latter case the diastereomers of the amino acids formed by precolumn derivatization with the chiral reagents 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl isothiocyanate or 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-5-L-alanine amide were separated. The gas chromatographic analyses were based on separation on a Chirasil-L-Val column. Presented at: Balaton Symposium on High-Performance Separation Methods, Siófok, Hungary, September 3–5, 1997     

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.     

Determination of Amino Acids by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Electrochemical Detection Using Ferrocene Derivatization Reagents

Abstract

Two new reagents possessing ferrocene as an electrophore and isothiocyanate reactive toward the amino group were prepared and evaluated for pre-column derivatization of amino acids in high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The utilities of these reagents were investigated employing glycine as a model compound. Ferrocenylisothiocyanate was more favorable with respect to reactivity and electrochemical properties. The newly developed method was applied to the determination of 4-aminobutyric acid in biological specimens.     

Isolation and desalting with cation‐exchange chromatography for compound‐specific nitrogen isotope analysis of amino acids: application to biogeochemical samples

We have established a procedure for removing interfering materials from extracts of geological and biological samples, in order to determine precise compound‐specific nitrogen isotopic compositions of amino acids. We employed cation‐exchange chromatography of protein and non‐protein amino acids prior to derivatization for gas chromatographic separation. The average recovery of a standard amino acid solution was better than 94%, without nitrogen isotope fractionation during the cation‐exchange chromatography. We applied the procedure to various environmental samples including ‘hard’ (calcareous, siliceous, rock and sediment samples) and ‘soft’ materials (aggregated microbial samples and biological soft tissue samples). We conclude that cation‐exchange chromatography is a pre‐treatment procedure which should be widely useful for the determination of compound‐specific nitrogen isotopic compositions of amino acids. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Metabolic profiling of amino acids in cellular samples via zwitterionic sub-2 μm particle size HILIC-MS/MS and a uniformly 13C labeled internal standard

A novel analytical method using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography combined with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry for metabolic profiling of free, underivatized amino acids is presented. The separation uses a zwitterionic modified silica-based stationary phase with 1.8-μm particle size functionalized with ammonium sulfonic acid groups. Quantification is based on external standard calibration using a Pichia pastoris cell extract grown on uniformly ¹³C labeled glucose as an internal standard. The absolute limits of detection in the cellular matrix were in the subpicomolar range. Measurement accuracy was assessed by analyzing NIST Standard Reference Material 2389a, which provides certified values for 17 amino acids. The recovery of the amino acids ranged between 65 % (proline) and 120 % (lysine), with excellent repeatability precision below 2.5 % (n?=?5). Only, cystine showed poor recovery (29 %) and repeatability precision (13 %). Generally, the long-term precision obtained by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was excellent, being on average less than 9 % over 20 h of measurement time. Moreover, the novel separation method had average repeatability and reproducibility of the chromatographic peak width over time periods of 20 h and 6 months of 8 and 15 %, respectively, demonstrating its high robustness in routine analysis of cellular samples. Large concentration differences depending on the amino acid were found in the cell extracts, typically ranging from 0.002 nmol per milligram of cell dry weight (cystine) to 56 nmol per milligram of cell dry weight (arginine and glutamic acid).     

Automated Analysis of O-Phthalal-Dehyde Derivatives of Amino Acids in Physiological Fluids by Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

An automated method is described for the determination of free amino acids in biological fluids using precolumn deriva-tization with o-phthalaldehyde and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. Chromatographic separation of amino acids is accomplished in 24 minutes (cycle time 44 minutes). As little as 1.5 pmol of most commonly occurring amino acids can be accurately quantified. Accuracy and reproducibility are optimized by automating the derivatization-injection sequence and by correcting for variations in the fluorescence response of each amino acid in each run. A total of 31 analyses can be completed in 24 hours on a single column (7 standards and 24 unknowns). The method can be used in the general determination of free amino acids in biological fluids, or can be further accelerated and used for the quantitation of specific amino acids simply by altering the elution conditions.     

Fast and comprehensive analysis of secondary metabolites in cocoa products using ultra high‐performance liquid chromatography directly after pressurized liquid extraction

Fast methods for the extraction and analysis of various secondary metabolites from cocoa products were developed and optimized regarding speed and separation efficiency. Extraction by pressurized liquid extraction is automated and the extracts are analyzed by rapid reversed‐phase ultra high‐performance liquid chromatography and normal‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography methods. After extraction, no further sample treatment is required before chromatographic analysis. The analytes comprise monomeric and oligomeric flavanols, flavonols, methylxanthins, N‐phenylpropenoyl amino acids, and phenolic acids. Polyphenols and N‐phenylpropenoyl amino acids are separated in a single run of 33 min, procyanidins are analyzed by normal‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography within 16 min, and methylxanthins require only 6 min total run time. A fourth method is suitable for phenolic acids, but only protocatechuic acid was found in relevant quantities. The optimized methods were validated and applied to 27 dark chocolates, one milk chocolate, two cocoa powders and two food supplements based on cocoa extract.     

Quantification by selected ion monitoring of pipecolic acid, proline, gamma-aminobutyric acid and glycine in rat brain

A procedure for the simultaneous analysis of brain pipecolic acid, proline, gamma-aminobutyric acid and glycine--amino acids with potent inhibitory actions on the central nervous system--was developed. The identification and quantification of the amino acids were performed with a gas chromatographic--mass spectrometric--computer system using deuterium-labelled amino acids as the internal standards. After separation of the amino acids by high-performance liquid chromatography, the methyl ester heptafluorobutyryl derivatives were prepared. The lower limit of quantification for this method is at the picomole level. The usefulness of this chromatographic procedure has been demonstrated by measurement of trace amounts of pipecolic acid in rat brain.     

Separation and quantitation of fatty acids, sterols and bile acids in feces by gas chromatography as the butyl ester-acetate derivatives

A system allowing the separation and quantitation of individual species of fecal fatty acids, sterols and bile acids in a single chromatographic step is described. The system is based on the butylation of carboxyl groups and acetylation of free hydroxyls of the compounds in fecal lipid extracts, followed by their resolution by temperature-programmed gas chromatography. As the butyl ester-acetate derivatives, fatty acids, sterols and bile acids elute separately and with no overlap on a variety of chromatographic columns, obviating the need for prior separation of each class by thin-layer or column chromatography. All common bile acids, a wide variety of sterols and keto-steroids, as well as saturated and unsaturated fatty acids may be routinely resolved. Quantitation is facilitated by the addition of the internal standards, heptadecanoic acid and nor-deoxycholic acid to each sample. With an automatic sample injector, the rapid assessment of a wide range of potential risk factors for colorectal cancer may be carried out in large numbers of samples.     

Determination of erythrocyte amino acids by gas chromatography

Erythrocyte amino acid levels were determined, by gas chromatography, in a group of 34 normal human adults. No significant sex or age correlations were noted. A method for the quantitative gas chromatographic analysis of free amino acids in erythrocytes is described. Following hemolysis and deproteinization the amino acids were isolated on a cation-exchange resin. Glutathione was removed from the amino acid mixture by adsorption on an anion-exchange resin. Following conversion to their N-acetyl-n-propyl esters, 19 amino acids were separated and quantitated by gas chromatography on a single column in 18 min. Typical reproducibility data indicate that a coefficient of variation of 2-5% is attainable.     

Reversed Phase Thin Layer Chromatography of Amino Acids

Abstract

The use of reversed phase layers for the thin layer chromatography of amino acids is described. Only when a modifier was added to the mobile phase was clear separation of the amino acids achieved. Ion paring with trifluoroacetic acid overcame problems with streaking and poor separation on C₂ or C₁₈ reversed phase layers. All amino acids could not be separated with a single mobile phase. Thus, three different combination of acetonitrile-0.4% trifluoroacetic acid were used to separate eighteen amino acids with derivatization. No derivative was required.     

HPLC Analysis of Amino Acids with Ion Exchange Chromatography and O-Phthalaldehyde Post-Column Derivatization: Applications to the Assay of Endogenous Free Amino Acids and Their Transport in Human Placental Villus

Abstract

A method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the analysis of primary amino acids in human placenta is described. This method involves separation of primary amino acids by high performance ion-exchange chromatography followed by post column derivatization using O-phlthalaldehyde (OPA) and 2-mercaptoethanol and fluorescence (excitation 340 nm and emission 410 nm) detection of derivatives. Waters 840 HPLC Amino Acid System was used for this purpose.

For analysis, villus tissue was extracted with acetonitrile, and the recovered amino acids were reconstituted in a sodium diluent (pH 2.2). The complete profile of the primary amino acids in the sample could be constructed in about 90 minutes. Up to 44 samples can be analyzed without special attention. Using this method, essential amino acids (threonine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, lysine, histidine) and nonessential amino acids (aspartic acid, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, arginine) were detected and quantified in human placental villus in pmol quantities. Plots of peak heights (or areas) were linear for several amino acids. The same method was also used for (a) the assay of free primary amino acids in umbilical bloods, (b) the efflux of amino acids from isolated human placental villus, and (c) to study the uptake of α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), a non-metabolizable amino acid, by the isolated placental villus.     

A Rapid Isolation of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Its Subunits by Reversed-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

A rapid isolation of human chorionic gonadotropin and its subunits from a commercially available concentrate of human urine has been achieved using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. With μBondapak C₁₈ columns and a gradient employing aqueous trifluoroacetic acid as one solvent and dilute trifluoroacetic acid in acetonitrile as the other, complete separation can be accomplished in one day whereas standard column chromatographic procedures take about two weeks. Specific radioimmunoassays, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and amino acid analyses were used to identify and characterize chromatographic peaks.     

Characterization of medieval proteinaceous painting media using gas chromatography and gas chromatography — mass spectrometry

Proteinaceous organic materials used as ancient painting media were investigated by capillary gas chromatography (GC) and capillary gas chromatography — mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Medieval wall paintings made by the tempera technique were considered and their binding media were studied by the characterization of their main chemical components. The basic methodology is based on the determination of amino acids in samples of paint layers after hydrolysis and derivatization and on the comparison with reference proteinaceous materials. Multivariate chemometric techniques were used to facilitate the recognition of the protein source from chromatographic data. To characterize the binders further, a method was developed for the determination of fatty acids, present as minor components, by GC/MS. The use of fused-silica capillary columns coated with selected stationary phases allowed the separation of amino acid and fatty acid derivatives in a single analytical run.     

Gas-liquid chromatographic separation of common amino acids in pine needle extracts

An improved gas—liquid chromatographic method based on the separation of N-trifluoroacetyl n-butyl esters of amino acids on a “two-column” setup --- Tabsorb and Tabsorb HAC --- was developed for the identification and estimation of amino acids in pine needles (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). A comparative study was made of various available gas—liquid chromatographic methods for separation and estimation of amino acids from pine needle extracts.     

Rapid Amino Acid Analysis in Biotechnology: Determination of Alanine and Aspartic Acid

Abstract

A fast and sensitive chromatographic method was developed to monitor the enzymatic conversion of aspartic acid into alanine in a membrane reactor. The amino acids were converted into dansyl derivatives which were separated by ion-pair chromatography on a reversed-phase column and detected by fluorimetry using only conventional HPLC equipment.     

Assay of lipids in dog myocardium using capillary gas chromatography and derivatization with boron trifluoride and methanol

The fatty acids of three lipid classes (free fatty acids, triglycerides, and cholesteryl esters) from dog heart were analysed by gas chromatography. Samples of the left ventricle were homogenized and total lipids were extracted. After separation by thin-layer chromatography, the bands of the lipid classes studied were scraped off, transmethylated according to the boron trifluoride-methanol procedure, and the fatty acid methyl esters were extracted and analysed. The problems related to the quantitation of fatty acids were investigated, namely transmethylation procedure, thin-layer chromatography, and gas chromatographic conditions. Fatty acid methyl esters were separated on capillary columns coated in the laboratory with SP 2340 stationary phase. The high performance of the separation ensured the reliability and the precision of the analysis.