Sensitive and Mild Fluorogenic Reagents for Biogenic Carboxylic Acids in HPLC

  • Received : 1995.08.20
  • Published : 1995.12.25

Abstract

Five acid hydrazides as precolumn fluorescence derivatization reagents for carboxylic acids in HPLC, which have the benzofuran or benzothiazole moiety conjugated to a furan, thiophene or oxazoline ring, were synthesized and examined in view of reactivity, separability and sensitivity. Of these hydrazides, 2-(5-hydrazinocarbonyl-2-oxazolyl)-5,6-dimethoxybenzothiazole (BTOH) was most favorable. The detection limit of lauric acid as a model acid was 0.1 pmol per $10-{\mu}l$ injection volume at S/N=3, which was roughly equal to that of an analogous compound, 2-(5-hydrazinocarbonyl-2-furyl)-5,6-dimethoxybenzothiazole. The reagent allowed rapid assays of carboxylic acids ($C_{12:0}-C_{20:4}$) within 20 min with satisfactory scparability. The method was applied to the determination of fatty acids in human sera from healthy volunteers as well as from patients with diabetes or thyroid dysfunction.

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