ABSTRACT
Amino acids are basic molecules that have multiple roles in living organisms. Amino acids constitute the building blocks of proteins which are mainly constituted by the 20 “standard” amino acids (aspartic acid,
2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 33 2.2 Sample Preparation ........................................................................................................................ 36
2.2.1 Free Amino Acids ............................................................................................................. 36 2.2.1.1 Extraction ........................................................................................................... 36 2.2.1.2 Sample Cleanup ................................................................................................. 37
2.2.2 Total Amino Acids ............................................................................................................ 38 2.2.2.1 Acid Hydrolysis .................................................................................................. 38 2.2.2.2 Alkaline Hydrolysis ........................................................................................... 39 2.2.2.3 Enzymatic Hydrolysis ........................................................................................ 40
2.3 Derivatization ................................................................................................................................. 40 2.3.1 Derivatives for Spectroscopic Detection ........................................................................... 40
2.3.1.1 Postcolumn Derivatization ................................................................................. 40 2.3.1.2 Precolumn Derivatization ...................................................................................41
