Application of amino acid analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography with phenyl isothiocyanate derivatization to the rapid determination of free amino acids in biological samples.

An amino acid analysis by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography after precolumn derivatization with phenyl isothiocyanate was adapted to the determination of free amino acids in plasma or other biological fluids and in tissue homogenates. Preparation of samples included deproteinization by 3% sulphosalicylic acid, and careful removal under high vacuum of residual phenyl isothiocyanate after derivatization. A Waters Pico-Tag column (15 cm long) was used, immersed in a water-bath at 38 degrees C. In rat or human plasma, separation of 23 individual amino acids, plus the unresolved pair tryptophan and ornithine, was obtained within 13 min. Including the time for column washing and re-equilibration, samples could be chromatographed at 23-min intervals. Variability was tested for each amino acid by calculating the coefficients of variation of retention times (less than 1% in the average) and peak areas (less than 4% for both intra-day and inter-day determinations). The linearity for each standard amino acid was remarkable over the concentration range 3-50 nmol/ml. The mean recovery of amino acid standards added to plasma prior to derivatization was 97 +/- 0.8%, except for aspartate (82%) and glutamate (81%). This method is rapid (almost three samples per hour can be analysed, more than in any other reported technique), with satisfactory precision, sensitivity and reproducibility. Therefore, it is well suited for routine analysis of free amino acids in both clinical and research work.     

Sensitive determination of dissolved tryptophan in freshwater by alkaline hydrolysis and HPLC.

A sensitive method involving alkaline hydrolysis and HPLC analysis has been developed to detect nanomolar levels of tryptophan dissolved in freshwater. The procedure includes 1) alkaline hydrolysis with nitrogen atmosphere in Teflon-lined Pyrex tubes with 4.2 M sodium hydroxide at 110 degrees C for 16 h, in which ascorbic acid was used as an antioxidant; 2) a determination step, in which tryptophan was separated efficiently from other amino acids by HPLC and measured by fluorescence. The mean recovery for tryptophan standard was 91.4% with an RSD of 3.3%. Using this method, dissolved tryptophan concentrations ranged from 10.91 to 41.83 nM in water samples from Lake Biwa, Japan.     

Determination of tryptophan and its metabolites in human plasma and serum by high-performance liquid chromatography with automated sample clean-up system

An automated high-performance liquid chromatographic method that incorporates direct injection of biological samples followed by chromatographic sample clean-up in a precolumn is described for the determination of tryptophan and its metabolites in human plasma and serum. The system gave reproducible data with a coefficient of variation of less than 3% with a sample size of 100 microliters of human plasma. The major tryptophan metabolites found in 100 microliters of human plasma were kynurenine, indolelactic acid, indoleacetic acid, indolepropionic acid, serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid. The level of tryptophan and kynurenine in individuals was constant in comparison with other metabolites. Analysis of samples from normal controls, diabetics, gravida and their foetuses showed a tendency for tryptophan metabolites to be low in maternal plasma.     

Continuous flow derivatization system coupled to capillary electrophoresis for the determination of amino acids

A derivatization system coupled to capillary electrophoresis for the determination of amino acids using 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate as a labeling agent is described. In this system, amino acids are derivatized on-line in a three-channel flow manifold for sample, reagent and buffer solutions. The reaction takes place in a PTFE coil heated at 80 degrees C. The resulting solution, which contains the amino acid derivatives, is introduced into the electrophoretic system by means of an appropriate interface. Subsequently, amino acid derivatives are separated at 25 kV using a 40 mM sodium tetraborate aqueous solution with 30% (v/v) isopropanol solution as a running buffer. The electropherograms are monitored spectrophotometrically at 230 nm. The method has been applied to the determination of amino acids in feed samples and pharmaceutical preparations. A good concordance of the predicted values with those given by a standard amino acid analyzer is shown.     

High-performance liquid chromatography with photochemical fluorimetric detection of tryptophan based on 4-fluoro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa- 1,3-diazole : Total protein amino acid analysis

The simultaneous determination of amino acids including trytophan is described. The NBD- F forms a single adduct with tryptophan as with other amino acids, but the adduct lacks intrinsic fluorescence. After ultraviolet irradiation, the adduct fluoresces (pale-green); the fluorescence intensity increases with increasing irradiation time at pH 2-10, Under the same conditions, the other amino acid adducts are slowly decomposed. When the tryptophan adduct, separated on a Nucleosil ODS column (150×4.6 mm, 6 μm), is irradiated in an on-line photochemical reactor (310 nm), its fluorescence peak appears between those of the phenylalanine and lysine adducts. The detection limit for tryptophan by the proposed method is 3 pmol; the limits for other amino acids are 10–100 fmol.     

A rapid complexometric scheme for analysis of iron, aluminium, calcium and magnesium in slags

A simple and rapid complexometric method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of iron, aluminium, calcium and magnesium in a single solution in slags. Phosphorous and small amounts of chromium (1.5 mg) and vanadium (1 mg) do not interfere in the titration. Titanium and manganese are suitably masked with lactic acid and tetra sodium pyrophosphate, respectively. In a suitable aliquot, iron is titrated at pH 2 with EDTA, using sulphosalicylic acid as indicator. To this solution, excess disodium 1,2-cyclohexane diamine tetra acetic acid (DCTA) is added and aluminium is titrated by titrating the excess DCTA with standard copper sulphate solution at pH 3.5, using 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) as an indicator. A known excess of EDTA is added, the pH is raised to 10 and calcium and magnesium are jointly titrated by titrating the excess EDTA with copper sulphate solution, using PAN indicator. The Ca-EDTA complex is demasked with ammonium oxalate at pH 5 and the released EDTA equivalent to calcium is titrated with copper sulphate solution at pH 10 with PAN indicator. Results of analysis compare favourably with certified values and values obtained by standard methods for BCS and other slags. A set of five samples can be analysed for iron, aluminium, calcium and magnesium in four hours as compared to three days by the classical conventional method.     

Rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of tryptophan, tyrosine and phenylalanine in biological samples.

In order to overcome problems related to the determination of free tryptophan in biological fluids using conventional methods, we have developed an accurate and reliable procedure based on a specific pretreatment of samples followed by a very rapid and sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis. The pretreatment consists of adding to the samples of a very low amount of 3 M phosphate buffer to maintain pH in the physiological range followed by ultrafiltration. The precision, reproducibility and sensitivity of our method were also evaluated. The recovery of each amino acid was greater than 92%. The use of a microbore column allows the detection of up to 0.2 pmol/microliter of amino acid. The method has been applied to the analysis of samples obtained from 25 normal and 10 phenylketonuric subjects.     

Ion-exchange resins containing s-bonded dithizone and dehydrodithizone as functional groups : Part 3. Determination of Gold,Platinum and Palladium in Geological Samples by means of a Dehydrodithizone Resin and Plasma Emission Spectrometry

A procedure is described for the determination of gold, platinum and palladium in sulphide ores, concentrates and mattes. The method is based on chromatographic separation and selective elution of precious metals on small resin beds (0.7 × 2.5 cm) of the sorbent P-TD. After roasting, the samples were digested with aqua regia, and the residues fused with sodium peroxide. The acid leaching solutions obtained from both procedures were separately passed through an ion-exchange column. The metals were quantitatively retained after one loading step and eluted by a sequence of 2 M perchloric acid and 5% (w/v) thiourea solution. Preconcentrated Au, Pt and Pd were finally quantified with a d.c. plasma emission spectrometer. The effect of roasting temperature on the recovery of precious metals as well as the efficiency of the aqua regia leaching from the different materials were investigated in detail. Repeated analyses of standard reference samples proved the proposed method to be reliable.     

A Novel Protein Assay With an Azo Dye Using Rayleigh Light Scattering Technioque

ABSTRACT

The interaction of SPADNS [3-(4-sulfophenylazo)-4, 5-dihydroxy-2, 7-naphthalene disulfonic acid] with proteins in acidic solution was studied by spectrophotometric and Rayleigh light scattering (RLS) methods. SPADNS reacts rapidly with albumin at room temperature, and the intensity of the weak RLS of SPADNS was enhanced remarkably and quantitatively by this reaction.

Based on this observation, a novel RLS method for serum albumin determination was developed. The linear range is 0.125-14.9 μg/ml for BSA. The relative standard deviation (n=10) for 5.0 μg/ml BSA was 3.94%. The method was applied to the determination of proteins in human plasma, and the results were compared with the traditional proteins assay (CBB method). There is almost no interference from amino acids, metal ions and other coexistent substances. The reaction mechanism was also discussed.     

毛细管电泳-间接紫外检测法测定蜂蜜中的氨基酸

采用毛细管电泳-间接紫外检测法同时分离测定蜂蜜中的赖氨酸、色氨酸、谷氨酸等9种氨基酸。考察了磷酸浓度、进样方式和缓冲液pH对分离效率和重现性的影响。在分离电压为-15 kV、检测波长为220 nm条件下,以含有0.5 mmol/L十六烷基三甲基溴化铵、20 mmol/L烟酸、10%甲醇的10 mmol/L磷酸二氢钠缓冲溶液(pH 10.2)为运行缓冲液,9种组分在11 min内达到基线分离;检出限最低可达到0.3 mg/L;线性范围为1.0~1000 mg/L;日间及日内精密度为0.64%~5.83%。实际样品中除甲硫氨酸外的8种氨基酸的加标回收率为60.00%~118.37%。将该方法应用于不同蜜源植物和产地的蜂蜜样品的测定,在市售的5种蜂蜜中均检测到脯氨酸、丝氨酸和天冬氨酸,而只在荔枝蜜中检测到苏氨酸。该方法可以为蜂蜜的蜜源鉴别及质量评估提供借鉴方法。     

Potentiometric determination of free acidity in presence of hydrolysable ions and a sequential determination of hydrazine

A simple potentiometric method for the determination of free acidity in presence of hydrolysable ions and sequential determination of hydrazine is developed and described. Both free acid and hydrazine are estimated from the same aliquot. In this method, free acid is titrated with standard sodium carbonate solution after the metal ions in solutions are masked with EDTA. Once the end point for the free acid is determined at pH 3.0, an aliquot of formaldehyde is added to liberate the acid equivalent to hydrazine which is then titrated with the same standard sodium carbonate solution using an automatic titration system. The described method is simple, accurate and reproducible. This method is especially applicable to all ranges of nitric acid and heavy metal ion concentration relevant to Purex process used for nuclear fuel reprocessing. The overall recovery of nitric acid is 98.9% with 1.2% relative standard deviation. Hydrazine content has also been determined in the same aliquot with a recovery of nitric acid is 99% with 2% relative standard deviation. The major advantage of the method is that generation of corrosive analytical wastes containing oxalate or sulphate is avoided. Valuable metals like uranium and plutonium can easily be recovered from analytical waste before final disposal.     

Determination of ascorbic acid in human plasma with a view to stability using HPLC with UV detection

A method for the measurement of ascorbic acid using HPLC with UV detection and investigation into the protein precipitation techniques with regard to stability and recovery are described. The effectiveness of various protein precipitants was tested. Stability of ascorbic acid samples for analysis was investigated over 10 h. Ascorbic acid samples extracted with metaphosphoric acid were stable on a cooled autosampler (4 degrees C) for at least 10 h (with a decline of 1.8% for ascorbic acid solution and 2.8% for plasma). Perchloric acid as protein precipitant for ascorbic acid was unsuitable (with a decline of 36.0% for ascorbic acid solution and 7.3% for plasma). Analytical performance of this method is satisfactory. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 2.1% (n = 10) and 5.8% (n = 12), respectively. The calibration curve was linear with the tested range of 2.0-250.0 micromol/L. The recovery was 96.1% with CV = 4.8% (n = 6) and the LOD was 3 micromol/L. The preliminary reference ranges of ascorbic acid in a group of blood donors are 50.8 +/- 22.4 micromol/L. This assay is a highly sensitive and reproducible HPLC method for the determination of ascorbic acid in human plasma.     

A new sensitive and specific test for vanadium with sulphosalicylic acid

A very sensitive and specific test for vanadium^V is described using sulphosalicylic acid as reagent. When this reagent is brought into contact with solid vanadium^V (a drop of the test solution evaporated to dryness on a watch glass) in the presence of concentrated sulphuric acid or 80% syrupy phosphoric acid, a blue colour is developed. Using this colour reaction, it is possible to detect 0.05 μg of vanadium^V in 0.05 ml of test solution. Aluminium^III, arsenic^V, beryllium^II, cadmium^II, chromium^III, chromium^VI, copper^II, iron^III, molybdenum^VI, nickel^VI, tungsten^VI, uranium^VI and vanadium^IV do not interfere with this colour test, although some of them are known to form coloured complexes with sulphosalicylic acid under different conditions. Reducing agents like iron^II, uranium^IV, molybdenum^V and hydroquinone discharge the colour. The colour of the vanadium^V-sulphosalicylic acid compound is also discharged if the temperature is raised to 60°, though it reappears on cooling.     

Validated method for L-ornithine-L-aspartate analysis in human plasma by capillary electrophoresis

A rapid capillary electrophoresis method for routine determination of two amino acids, L-ornithine and L-aspartic acid, in human plasma is reported. The method runs automatically, requires a minimum of sample preparation and moreover includes no extensive extraction and no gradient or derivatization procedure. Analyses were performed on an uncoated silica capillary using buffer solution composed with 10 mM sodium tetraborate and 1 M sodium hydroxide (pH=10.0). A capillary electrophoresis P/ACE system equipped with UV detection (200 nm), an automatic injector, a fluid cooled cartridge and System Gold data station was used in this study. The total analysis time under these conditions was 8.0 min. The calibration curve was linear in the range 10-280 microg mL-1 for L-aspartic acid and 20-280 microg mL-1 for L-ornithine (for both amino acids, r=0.999). The method was validated by inaccuracy (bias) and precision (RSD) studies by analysing samples. The method was successfully applied to the quantitative determination of L-ornithine-L-aspartate in human plasma and could be useful for clinical and bioavailability investigations.     

Characterization and elimination of the interfering effects of foreign species in the atomic-absorption determination of iron

The inhibition-release titration method has been used to study interference effects in flame atomic-absorption determination of iron. Interferences from anions, cations and complexing agents with the atomic-absorption of iron when a stoichiometric air-acetylene flame is used, can be obviated by a preliminary treatment of the sample solution with sulphosalicylic acid to convert the iron into the same complex before aspiration, thus giving a constant environment for the iron in the flame processes.     

A colorimetric method of determination of Borax

A method is described for the rapid and accurate determination of borax. The principle of this method is to cause the boron of the borax under analysis to form a complex by the addition of an excess of a fluoride , the excess of fluorine ions causes decolourization of the violet compound Fe(III) - sulphosalicylic acid by forming the colourless complex (FeF₆)^-3.The extinction coefficient of the solution, measured in the Pulfrich photometer, decreases with increasing content of this excess of fluorine ions, and consequently can be used as an indirect measure of the borax to be determined.     

Selenium-containing enzymes in mammals: Chemical perspectives

The chemical and biochemical route to the synthesis of the 21st amino acid in living systems, selenocysteine, is described. The incorporation of this rare amino acid residue into proteins is described with emphasis on the role of monoselenophosphate as selenium source. The role of selenocysteine moiety in natural mammalian enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), iodothyronine deiodinase (ID) and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) is highlighted and the effect of other amino acid residues located in close proximity to selenocysteine is described. It is evident from various studies that two amino acid residues, tryptophan and glutamine, appear in identical positions in all known members of the GPx family. According to the three-dimensional structure established for bovine GPx, these residues could constitute a catalytic triad in which the selenol group of the selenocysteine is both stabilized and activated by hydrogen bonding with the imino group of the tryptophan (Trp) residue and with the amido group of the glutamine (Gln) residue. The ID enzymes, on the other hand, do not possess any Trp or Gln residues in close proximity to selenium, but contain several histidine residues, which may play important roles in the catalysis. The TrxR enzymes also possess some basic histidines, but the most important amino acid residues are the cysteines which constitute the internal cofactor systems along with the catalytically active selenocysteine. The catalytic activity and substrate specificity of all three selenoenzymes are described. The reactivity of selenocysteine residues in selenoenzymes towards metal-based drugs such as goldthioglucose is also described.     

Determination of Sulphur in Solid and Liquid Samples by Potentiometric Titration with Ion Selective Electrode.

Abstract

This paper describes a potentiometric method for the determination of sulphur in solid and liquid samples, using a sulphide ion selective electrode after the reduction distillation step. The determination of sulphide in solid and liquid samples without prior treatment was carried out by direct and titration potentiometric methods.

The reproducibility of the method and the recovery of sulphate in solid samples was investigated using analytical reagent grade 99% sodium sulphate. Portions of aproximately 100 mg of reagent were subjected to the reduction distillation process. After the ion selective electrode showed a stable value of the potential, indicating that all the sulphate had been reduced to sulphide, the potentiometric titration with lead nitrate solution was performed. A mean recovery of 98% of sulphate was found. The potentiometric titration method described in this work, can be applied to determine S⁼ in solid samples with the advantage that it does not require sample solubilization or extraction prior to the determination. The method yields an almost total reduction of sulphur and also a good precision.