Sample preparation for chromatography of amino acids: Acid hydrolysis of proteins

Abstract

A number of variations were evaluated in the techniques and procedures of the classical 6N hydrochloric acid, 110°C, 24 h hydrolysis of protein. Variations included the use of glass tubes with Teflon-lined screw caps as the hydrolysis vessel, high-temperature short-time hydrolysis, performic acid oxidation of cystine and methionine, multiple hydrolysis times at 145°C, and interlaboratory preparation of hydrolysates. A diverse sample set used in the study included a range of protein-containing matrices, and automated ion-exchange chromatography was used for the amino acid analysis. Results show that for hydrolysis in glass tubes with Teflon-lined screw caps at 110°C for 24 h, recoveries of amino acids were in good agreement with recoveries by classical hydrolysis in sealed glass ampoules at reduced pressure. Recoveries from a higher temperature hydrolysis, i.e., 145°C for 4 h and using sealed ampoules, were also in agreement with 110° C, 24 h, sealed ampoule results; the former procedure yielded increased isoleucine and valine and decreased serine and threonine values. Glass tubes with Teflon-lined screw caps for hydrolysis were found to be a practical and convenient alternative to sealed glass ampoules; the improved precision with the former was probably due to the simplicity of the method. The average recovery of cystine from a wide range of matrices without the use of performic acid was 55.5% compared with results obtained with performic acid oxidation. Similarly, methionine is preferably analyzed as methionine sulfone. Interlaboratory evaluation of 145°C, 4 h hydrolysis, in which one laboratory used sealed ampoules and the other laboratory used Teflon-lined screw-cap tubes, demonstrated excellent agreement of amino acid values.