Abstract
A procedure for the quantitative determination of 17 amino acids in a marine matrix using HPLC is reported. Pre-column derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde, separation on C18-bonded silica with phosphate buffer (pH 7.2)-acetonitrile as eluent and fluorescence detection have been used. The good variation coefficient (average 2% with working curves in real matrix) and the low detection limit (1-5 fmoles) make the procedure suitable for the determination of total or free amino acids in matrix cultures.