Analysis of neurotoxin 3-N-oxalyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid and its α-isomer in Lathyrus sativus by high-performance liquid chromatography with 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (AQC) derivatization

A method was developed for the quantitative determination of the neurotoxic nonprotein amino acid, 3-N-oxalyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (beta-ODAP), and its nontoxic alpha-isomer, 2-N-oxalyl-L-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (alpha-ODAP), in the plant samples of Lathyrus sativus after derivatization with 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (AQC) by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Hippuric acid was used as an internal standard. A linear response was recorded in the concentration rang 0.32-32 nmol with r > 0.999. The RP HPLC detection limit for both isomers is 1.8 ng. According to different experimental needs, a ternary gradient system can be used to determine toxin and other nonprotein amino acids. The RP HPLC method and a colorimetric method were compared for measuring ODAP.