High Performance Liquid Chromatographic Analysis for Free Valine in Plasma

Abstract

A precolumn derivatization method is presented with the use of a fluorescent derivative, 1-dimethylaminonaphhalene-5-sulfonyl-chloride, dansyl chloride, for the detection of free valine in plasma. Dansylated amino acids were determined in deproteinized samples by reverse-phase liquid chromatography. The level of detection is 100 femtoraoles (10^?15). Sample preparation required precipitation of proteins with trichoroacetic acid and removing the excess acid with water saturated ether. The deproteinized sample was adjusted to pH 9.0 and reacted with dansyl chloride. The dansylated products were detected by ultraviolet and fluorescence spectrometry. Elution time for valine subsequent to injection is 25 minutes, while the total assay requires less than 50 minutes.     

Use of an Optimum Wavelength to Detect Glutamic Acid and its Metabolites in Human Serum by Reversed-Phase HPLC

Abstract

Dansylated glutamic acid, glutamine and γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) show maximum absorption at 221 nm. Using this wavelength, the detection limits for dansylated amino acids studied by reversed-phase HPLC are similar to those reported by fluorescence. This technique was used to look foe the presence of glutamic acid and its metabolites in human serum. Glutamic acid and glutamine were present in significant amounts and their levels were 2.5 and 6.1 nmoles/ml respetively, while GABA was present in trace amounts, less than 0.3 nmoles/ml.     

Separation of Free Amiimo Acids on Reverse Stationary Phases Using an Alkyl Sulfonate Salt as a Mobile Phase Additive

Abstract

Alkylsulfonate (RSO₃ ^?) salts were evaluated as mobile phase additives for the separation of free amino acids on reverse stationary phases using an acidic mobile phase where the amino acids are cations. The enhanced amino acid retention is the result of two major interactions, one being retention of the RSO₃ ^? salt on the stationary phase and the other an ion exchange selectivity between the amino acid analyte cation and the RSO₃ ^? countercation, or other countercations in the mobile phase. Major mobile phase variables are: type and concentration of RSO₃ ^? salt (the studies focused on C₈SO₃ ^? salts), presence of organic modifier, type of countercation present, and mobile phase pH and ionic strength. Alkyl modified silica and polystyrenedivinyl-benzene copolymeric reverse stationary phases were compared. A mobile phase gradient, increasing per cent organic modifier was shown to be best, is necessary for separating complex mixtures of polar and nonpolar or basic amino acids. The procedure is applicable to the identification and/or determination of amino acids in mixtures or in peptides after hydrolysis.     

Salting-Out and Salting-in Effects in the Reversed-Phase Thin-Layer Chromatography of Dansylated Amino Acids. Effect of Acids

Abstract

The retention of 15 dansylated amino acid derivatives was determined in aqueous solutions of formic, acetic, propionic and perchloric acid in reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography. The acids increased the retention of each derivatives at the low concentration range. This effect has been tentatively explained by the suppression of dissociation of polar groups in the solute molecules resulting in increased apparent lipophilicity (salting-out phenomenon). The higher concentrations of acid solutions decreased the retention (salting-in effect), the undissociated acid molecules probably act as an organic mobile phase. Both salting-in and salting-out phenomena can be simultaneously described by bilinear function. The polarity parameters of the amino acids, their hydrophobicity and the strength of the acid in the eluent simultaneously influence the retention.     

Membrane Transport of the Zwitterionic Aromatic α-Amino Acids by α-Aminophosphonates

Abstract

Bghly selective biological transport of amino acids is usually mediated by carrier proteins. The application of such membrane systems for the analysis and separation of amino acids has long studied. This work is devoted to the transport of zwitterionic form of aromatic a-amino acids such as d,l-Phe, d,l-DOPA, d,l-His, d,l-Tyr, d,l-Trp, via supported liquid membrane (SLM). The lipophilic α-aminophosphonates (I).

R₁ amyl or 2-ethylhexyl; R₂, R₂-(CH₂)4-(CH₂)5-CH₃ & (CH₃), C₄ H(CH₉) & H; H & H; have been used as carrier in the membrane systems composed of a porous polymeric support (Millipore Type FA) impregnated with 10^?1 M carrier in o-nitrophenyl n-octyl ether (amino acid concentration in source phase is 10^?3 M). The cell for membrane extractions is presented on Fig I.     

Determination of Amino Acid Enantiomers in Pharmaceuticals by Reversed-Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Precolumn derivatization with the reagent o-phthalic aldehyde/N-acetyl-L-cysteine (OPA/NAC) was used for the determination of amino acid enantiomers by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The influence of the composition and pH of the eluent on the separation of the resulting derivatives was studied with the example of four amino acids. It was found that the highest selectivity and efficiency of the separation of OPA/NAC derivatives of amino acids is attained with the use of the eluent methanol–0.01 M Na₂HPO₄ (pH 6.0). The optimum composition of the mobile phase and conditions of the gradient elution were selected for the separation of a mixture of 20 amino acid derivatives. A procedure was developed for the determination of amino acid enantiomers in parenteral nutrition preparations. The procedure was used for the determination of D-isomers of arginine, alanine, methionine, phenylalanine, and leucine in the preparation Polyamine.     

HPLC Determination of α-Amino Acids in Phytoplanktonic Marine Cells

Abstract

A procedure for the quantitative determination of 17 amino acids in a marine matrix using HPLC is reported. Pre-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde, separation on C₁₈-bonded silica with phosphate buffer (pH 7.2)-acetonitrile as eluent and fluorescence detection have been used. The good variation coefficient (average 2% with working curves in real matrix) and the low detection limit (1-5 fmoles) make the procedure suitable for the determination of total or free amino acids in matrix cultures.     

Synthesis of N-alkylated amino acids using fluorous-tagged hydroxylamines

The development of a new fluorous-tagged ammonia-equivalent for the synthesis of N-alkylated amino acids is described. The required building blocks were readily accessed in high yield and purity using F-SPE purification technique. Coupling of the fluorous-tagged hydroxylamines with a selection of boronic acids and glyoxalic acid gave the desired N-alkylated amino acids. Subsequent removal of the fluorous tag via catalytic hydrogenation was investigated using a number of different catalysts and solvents. A more robust de-tagging procedure involves the transformation of the amino acid to the corresponding methyl ester followed by a Mo(CH₃CN)₃(CO)₃ mediated N-O bond cleavage.     

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.     

Ruthenium (II) 1,10-Phenanthroline Salts as Mobile Phase Additives for the Separation and Indirect Detection of Free Amino Acids

Abstract

Ruthenium (II) 1,10-phenanthroline, Ru(phen)²⁺ ₃, salts are used as ion interaction reagents in a basic mobile phase for the retention, resolution, and indirect photometric detection (IPD) of free amino acids on a polystyrene divinylbenzene (Hamilton PRP-1) column. Mobile phase Ru(phen)²⁺ ₃ concentration and pH and type and concentration of organic modifier and counteranion affect retention and IPD. Underivatized amino acid elution order is influenced by side chain structure typical of ion exchange processes. Detection limits for the separation and detection of free amino acids using an isocratic elution condition are about 0.1 nmole for lower retained amino acids and 0.25 nmole for higher retained amino acids for a 3:1 signal:noise ratio. Gradient elution is possible but at higher detection limits.     

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.     

TLC of Phenylthiohydantoins of Amino Acids: A Review

Abstract

Proteins are among the most important components of all living systems. Their function range from catalysts 9enzymes) to regulators to structural components. The building blocks and language of proteins are about 20 amino acids (H₂N CHR COOH), linked together By peptide bonds ([sbnd]CO[sbnd]NH[sbnd]) in chains that may consist of a few dozen to more than 1000 amino acides. The determination of primary structure of proteins, namely the sequence (arrangement) of the various amino acids along the chain is still a challenging tast. Edman reaction lies virtually at the core of all modern sequencing strategies [1,2]. The N-terminal polypeptide is first coupled to phenyl isothiocyanate to from the phenylthio carbamyl peptide; this derivative is then cleaved with anhydrous acid to expose a new N-terminus and to release the original N-terminal amino acid as a 5′thiazolinone (Scheme-1). The excess reagents and by products are extracted by an organic solvent wash. The extract of thiazolinone amino acid (obtained either from liquid-phase or solid-phase degration) is evaporated and converted to the phenylhtiohydantion derivative by 5 n HCL/CH₃COOH (1:2 v/v) at 52°C for 50 min. The sample is extracted with ethyl acetate, dried and redissolved in a suitable volume of ethanol for TLC identification. Repetition of this process with identification of the released PTH-amino acidsfro the N-terminal end. For smaller peptides PITC may be used to remove the amino terminal amino acid while a chromphore or fluorophore such as dansyl chloride or DABITC, which react with the newly exposed amino terminus, is used to identify the new amino terminus. Both manual and automated methodologies are currently used for small and large polypeptides which rely upon identification of amino terminal amino acid as PTH derivative. A large number of papers have been and continue to be publihsed on the analysis of the PTH derivatives of amino acides.     

Influence of various salts on the reversed-phase retention of some dansylated amino acids in TLC

Summary The retention of 14 dansylated amino acid derivatives was determined using aqueous LiCl, NaCl, KCl, RbCl and CsCl solutions as eluents in reversed-phase thinlayer chromatography. The salts exerted typical salting-out effects, the retention of each dansylated amino acid increased with increasing concentration of salt in the eluent. This effect has been tentatively explained by the suppression of the dissociation of the polar groups in the solute molecules resulting in increased apparent lipophilicity. The correlation between the increased retention of dansyl amino acids and the salt concentration was found to be linear. The hydrated radii and energy of hydration of cations as well as the hydrophobicity of free amino acids and the pK value of the -amino groups simultaneously influenced the retention.     

Enantioseparation of dansyl amino acids by ligand‐exchange capillary electrophoresis with zinc(II)‐L‐phenylalaninamide complex

A novel method of chiral ligand‐exchange CE was developed with L ‐amino acylamides as a chiral ligand and zinc(II) as a central ion. It has been demonstrated that these chiral complexes, such as Zn(II)‐L ‐alaninamide, Zn(II)‐L ‐prolinamide, and Zn(II)‐L ‐phenylalaninamide, are suitable for use as chiral selectors for the enantioseparation of either individual pair of or mixed dansyl amino acids. The optimal separation running buffer consisted of 5 mM ammonium acetate, 100 mM boric acid, 4 mM ZnSO₄·7 H₂O, and 8 mM L ‐amino acylamides at pH 8.2. The experiments showed that apart from the effect of the concentration of the complexes on the resolution and the migration time, the buffer pH also had a sharp influence on resolution. The employed chiral ligands exhibited different enantioselectivities and enantiomer migration orders. D ‐Amino acids migrate faster than L ‐amino acids when Zn(II)‐L ‐alaninamide and Zn(II)‐L ‐phenylalaninamide are used as chiral selectors, but it was observed that the migration order is reversed when Zn(II)‐L ‐prolinamide is used as the chiral selector. Furthermore, the amount of dansylated amino acids is found to be highly dependent on the labeling temperature.     

Reverse Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography of Human Bence Jones Proteins

Abstract

A high performance liquid chromatography system is presented for analytical and preparative separations of human Bence Jones proteins. The method utilizes 5–7 um macroreticular polystylene resin with bonded hydroxymethyl functional groups, and the proteins are eluted with a linear gradient of an increasing concentration of acetonitorile(10–60%, V/V) in 0.1 % (V/V) trifluoroacetic acid, pH 2.1. By this elution condition, seven X type Bence Jones proteins with molecular weights of 23,600 (monomer)-47,000(dimers) daltons(216–434 amino acids) were eluted within 80 min with the yields of 78%–98%. The method allows a rapid and sharp elution of Bence Jones proteins.     

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.     

An expedient route for the reduction of carboxylic acids to alcohols employing 1-propanephosphonic acid cyclic anhydride as acid activator

A simple and efficient method for the synthesis of alcohols from the corresponding carboxylic acids is described. Activation of carboxylic acid with 1-propanephosphonic acid cyclic anhydride (T3P) and subsequent reduction using NaBH₄ yield the alcohol in excellent yields with good purity. Reduction of several alkyl/aryl carboxylic acids and N^α-protected amino acids/peptide acids as well as N^β-protected amino acids was successfully carried out to obtain corresponding alcohols in good yields. All the products were fully characterized by ¹H NMR and mass spectral analyses. The procedure is mild, simple and the isolation of the products is easy.     

Amino acid δ13C analysis of hair proteins and bone collagen using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry: paleodietary implications from intra‐individual comparisons

We report a novel method for the chromatographic separation and measurement of stable carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³C) of individual amino acids in hair proteins and bone collagen using the LC‐IsoLink system, which interfaces liquid chromatography (LC) with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). This paper provides baseline separation of 15 and 13 of the 18 amino acids in bone collagen and hair proteins, respectively. We also describe an approach to analysing small hair samples for compound‐specific analysis of segmental hair sections. The LC/IRMS method is applied in a historical context by the δ¹³C analysis of hair proteins and bone collagen recovered from six individuals from Uummannaq in Greenland. The analysis of hair and bone amino acids from the same individual, compared for the first time in this study, is of importance in palaeodietary reconstruction. If hair proteins can be used as a proxy for bone collagen at the amino acid level, this validates compound‐specific isotope studies using hair as a model for palaeodietary reconstruction. Our results suggest that a small offset observed in the bulk δ¹³C values of the hair and bone samples may be attributed to two factors: (i) amino acid compositional differences between hair and bone proteins, and (ii) differential turnover rates of the tissues and the amino acid pools contributing to their synthesis. This application proposes that hair may be a useful complementary or alternative source of compound‐specific paleodietary information. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.