DETERMINATION OF NONPROTEIN AMINO-ACIDS AND TOXINS IN LATHYRUS BY HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH PRECOLUMN PHENYL ISOTHIOCYANATE DERIVATIZATION

A simple procedure for the precolumn derivatization of toxic and non-t oxic non-protein amino acids occurring in the legume crop Lathyrus sat ivus and other Lathyrus species with phenyl isothiocyanate and an HPLC method for the separation of the derivatives in the nano- and picomol e range are reported. The results are compared with those of conventio nal ion-exchange chromatography for the separation of non-protein amin o acids with postcolumn ninhydrin reaction. The relative standard devi ations for the two methods are compared.