Determination of S-carboxymethylcysteine in serum by reversed-phase ion-pair liquid chromatography with column switching following pre-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde.

A method is described for the determination of S-(carboxymethyl)-L-cysteine in serum. After addition of S-(carboxyethyl)-L-cysteine as internal standard, both compounds are extracted into methanol, converted into fluorescent derivatives with o-phthalaldehyde and quantitatively determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Chromatography of unwanted amino acid derivatives is avoided by column switching, thereby shortening analysis time and increasing column lifetime. The technique was applied in a study of the bioavailability of S-(carboxymethyl)-L-cysteine after oral administration to humans. The concentration-response curve was linear from 2 to 16 micrograms/ml; mean serum concentrations are reported.