Aminoanalyse

Aminoanalyse is the systematic analysis of amino acids within a sample, including the identification and quantification of individual amino acids. It is used across disciplines such as biochemistry, proteomics, nutrition, and clinical chemistry to characterize protein composition, dietary quality, and metabolic status. The term can refer to both qualitative profiling and accurate measurement of amino acid concentrations in complex matrices like proteins, peptides, foods, and body fluids.

Common approaches rely on breaking proteins into free amino acids and separating them for detection. Traditional methods employ acid hydrolysis to release amino acids, followed by chromatographic separation and detection, often with derivatization to enable UV, fluorescence, or mass-spectrometric readouts. Ion-exchange chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), capillary electrophoresis, and, more recently, liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) are widely used. Gas chromatography after derivatization is another route for certain analyses. Automated amino acid analyzers historically based on these principles remain in use for routine profiling.

Challenges include partial destruction or alteration of certain residues during hydrolysis (for example, tryptophan is labile; asparagine and glutamine can deamidate), requiring careful method choice and sample handling. Quantitation relies on internal standards, calibration curves, and appropriate controls to ensure accuracy across different matrices.

Applications span nutritional assessment of foods, detection of metabolic disorders (via abnormal amino acid patterns in biological samples), quality control of biopharmaceuticals, and research in protein structure and function. The field continues to evolve with advances in MS-based workflows, enabling deeper coverage and multiplexed analyses.