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Updated: Jan 21, 2026
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Enzymatic Cascade Reactions for the Synthesis of Chiral Amino Alcohols from L-lysine
Published on: February 16, 2018
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High-Throughput LC-MS/MS Method for Chiral Amino Acid Analysis Without Derivatization
Yosuke Nakano1, Moyu Taniguchi1, Yutaka Umakoshi1
1Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|July 27, 2019
Summary
This study presents a new, highly sensitive method for separating D-amino acids without derivatization using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The technique enables simultaneous analysis of 18 D-amino acids in various samples.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- D-amino acids exhibit distinct biological functions compared to L-amino acids, driving interest in medical, clinical, and food industries.
- Current chiral amino acid separation methods often necessitate complex derivatization steps, hindering efficiency and sensitivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a highly sensitive analytical method for the enantioseparation of chiral amino acids.
- To enable simultaneous analysis of multiple D-amino acids without prior derivatization.
- To apply the method for quantifying D-amino acids in real-world samples.
Main Methods:
- Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was employed for enantioseparation.
- The method was optimized for high sensitivity and reproducibility.
- The developed technique was validated using real samples for amino acid quantification.
Main Results:
- A sensitive method for chiral amino acid enantioseparation without derivatization was established.
- Simultaneous analysis of 18 different D-amino acids was achieved with high sensitivity and reproducibility.
- The method demonstrated successful application in quantifying targeted D-amino acids in complex matrices.
Conclusions:
- The developed LC-MS/MS method offers a significant advancement for the sensitive and direct enantioseparation of D-amino acids.
- This technique simplifies chiral amino acid analysis, eliminating the need for derivatization.
- The method's applicability to real samples highlights its potential for clinical and food industry diagnostics.
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