Open AccessDevelopment of an HPLC Method with an ODS Column to Determine Low Levels of Aspartame Diastereomers in Aspartame
Author(s) -
Takashi Ohtsuki,
Ryoichiro Nakamura,
Satoru Kubo,
Akira Otabe,
Yoko Oobayashi,
Shinichi Suzuki,
Mika Yoshida,
Mitsuya Yoshida,
Chiye Tatebe,
Kyoko Sato,
Hiroshi Akiyama
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0152174
Subject(s) - aspartame , diastereomer , phenylalanine , chromatography , high performance liquid chromatography , repeatability , chemistry , stereochemistry , amino acid , biochemistry
α-L-Aspartyl-D-phenylalanine methyl ester (L, D-APM) and α-D-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (D, L-APM) are diastereomers of aspartame ( N -L-α-Aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-1-methyl ester, L, L-APM). The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has set 0.04 wt% as the maximum permitted level of the sum of L, D-APM and D, L-APM in commercially available L, L-APM. In this study, we developed and validated a simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method using an ODS column to determine L, D-APM and D, L-APM in L, L-APM. The limits of detection and quantification, respectively, of L, D-APM and D, L-APM were found to be 0.0012 wt% and 0.004 wt%. This method gave excellent accuracy, repeatability, and reproducibility in a recovery test performed on five different days. Moreover, the method was successfully applied to the determination of these diastereomers in commercial L, L-APM samples. Thus, the developed method is a simple, useful, and practical tool for determining L, D-APM and D, L-APM levels in L, L-APM.