Chapter 26.SE, Problem 24MP

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

Ninhydrin test is used to estimate the amount of amino acid present in a solution while they are being eluted in an ion exchange chromatography or HPLC.

Concept introduction:

In the ion-exchange technique, separated amino acids eluting from the chromatography column mix with a solution of a substance called ninhydrin and undergo a rapid reaction that produces an intense purple color. The color is measured by a spectrometer, and a plot of elution time versus spectrometer absorbance is obtained.

To determine:

The structure and mechanisms involved in the reaction of ninhydrin with α-amino acid.