Abstract

A method is described for the determination of the imino acid, pipecolic acid in serum and urine. Serum is deproteinised with absolute ethanol and urine is desalted by ion exchange chromatography. Pipecolic acid is partially separated from amimo acids present in serum and urine by ascending paper chromatography. After elution pipecolic acid is determined by measuring the colour formed when reacted with ninhydrin. Interference by amino acids in the determination is reduced to a low level by carrying out the ninhydrin reaction in 95% acetic acid and measuring the colour formed at 565 nm. The absorbance-concentration relationship is linear for less than 2 × 10 −7M of pipecolic acid. Pipecolic acid has been claimed to be formed from the catabolism of l-lysine by a minor pathway in man and other animals 1−3. Elevated serum levels of pipecolic acid have been reported in kwashiorkor 4 and in a case of degenerative neurological diseas associated with hepatomegaly 5. It has been reported to occur in the urine of premature infants 6.

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