Investigation of performic acid oxidation in case of thiol-containing amino acid enantiomers

Abstract

Performic acid oxidation of cysteine and methionine resulting in the formation of cysteic acid and methionine-sulphon has been applied in order to avoid the loss of these two sulphur containing amino acids during the acidic hydrolysis of proteins that is necessary prior to amino acid analysis. The aim of the research was assigned by the increasing demand for the determination of the amount amino acid enantiomers: the applicability of performic acid oxidation was evaluated in this point of view. Racemization of L-cysteine and L-methionine was found not significant during oxidation with performic acid, therefore this process can be applied before hydrolysis during quantification of cysteine and methionine enantiomers. Additionally, the quantification of cysteic acid and methionine-sulphon enantiomers was accomplished in the form of their diastereoisomer derivatives via the development of a reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography method.