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Determination of Free Arginine, Glutamine, and β-alanine in Nutritional Products and Dietary Supplements

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Abstract

A method for the determination of free arginine, glutamine, and β-alanine in nutritional products and dietary supplements is described. The amino acids are derivatized with the fluorescent tag 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (FMOC), and the derivatives are then determined by reversed phase HPLC. Method suitability was defined by experimental assessments of linearity (R 2 > 0.999), precision (day-to-day RSD ≤ 1.0%), accuracy (spike recoveries=98.7%–101.8%, n = 18), and selectivity (baseline resolution from the other common amino acids). The method provides for an accurate and precise quantification of the three amino acids, when present at concentrations >0.2% (w/w) in nutritional products and dietary supplements. Assessments of free l-glutamine stability in three different reconstituted powder products, as performed by the method, found recoveries >97% through 24 h at room temperature.

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  1. Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Nutrition Division, 3300 Stelzer Road, Columbus, OH, 43219, USA

    Jeffrey H. Baxter & Paul W. Johns

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  1. Jeffrey H. Baxter
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  2. Paul W. Johns
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Correspondence to Paul W. Johns.

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Baxter, J.H., Johns, P.W. Determination of Free Arginine, Glutamine, and β-alanine in Nutritional Products and Dietary Supplements. Food Anal. Methods 5, 821–827 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-011-9318-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12161-011-9318-x

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