ABSTRACT
Knowledge of the amino acid composition of a polypeptide or protein can be of critical importance for its identification, an understanding of its properties, an assessment of its purity and in establishing its concentration in solution. This chapter reviews the status of development of the several precolumn methodologies for amino acid analyses in comparison with that of the long established and reliable postcolumn ninhydrin procedures. For high sensitivity analyses using precolumn derivatization methodologies, vapor phase hydrolysis has been widely adopted. Of critical importance to the reliability of any amino acid analysis of polypeptide or protein is the care taken in the preparation of its acid hydrolysate. The development of precolumn derivatization methodologies has been driven by the need for greater sensitivity and speed of analyses. The chapter enables researchers to assess the advantages and disadvantages of the various approaches and available instrumentation in light of their own requirements and financial resources.
