High-performance liquid chromatography cation-exchange resin columns

Hara K, Hijikata Y, Hiraoka E, et al. Measurement of urinary amino acids using high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a strong cation exchange resin pre-column. Ann Clin Biochem 1999 36 202-6. 

The process of separation and quantitation of amino acids has been automated. In one automated method, a single cation exchange resin column separates all the amino acids in the protein hydrolysate. The analyzer is capable of detecting as little as 1-2 nmol of an amino acid and a complete analysis can be obtained in about 4 hours. In newer procedures, the complete analysis can be performed in about Ihour and permit detection of as little as 1-2 nmol of an amino acid. Picomole amounts of amino acids can be determined when the separated amino acids are coupled to fluorescent reagents such as o-phthalaldehyde. Amino acid separation and quantitation can also be accomplished by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography of amino acid derivatives—a rapid and sensitive procedure. 

Analysis of amino acid mixtures can also be done very easily using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and this is now the most common method. A cation-exchange resin is used for the column packing in some HPLC analyses... 

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