HPLC determination of amino acid neurotransmitters with o-phthaldialdelhyde precolumn derivatization

Objective To set up a method for determining the amino acid neurotransmitters. Methods o-phthaldialdelhyde/β-mercaptoethanol was used for the derivatization of amino acids.The separation of amino acid derivatives was accomplished on a column packed with 5 μm ODS. An acetate buffer pH 6.0 elution was adopted with a fluorescent detector (E x=330 nm,E m=456 nm). Results Five amino acids were separated and assessed merely in 9 min. Analysis of the results revealed a good linear relationship existing between the peak area and the concentration of amino acids. The correlation coefficients are in the range of 0.997?8～0.999?9. Conclusion The method is good enough for neuropharmacological research work.