Determination of neurotoxin 3-N-oxalyl-2,3-diaminopropionic acid and non-protein amino acids in Lathyrus sativus by precolumn derivatization with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene

A rapid and simple method is presented for determining neuro-excitatory nonprotein amino acid 3-N-oxalyl-2,3-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) and non-protein amino acids in Lathyrus sativus. Seed and foliage extracts of Lathyrus sativus were treated with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (FDNB) and a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method (RP HPLC) for the separation of the derivatives in the pmol range is reported. The RP HPLC method and a colorimetric method were compared for measuring ODAP.