title: Same-day batch measurement of glycine betaine, carnitine, and other betaines in biological material.
abstract: Glycine betaine, carnitine, carnitine esters, butyrobetaine, and proline betaine (stachydrine) concentrations in biological materials can be reliably measured in 100-microliters samples, with a detection limit below 1 mumol/liter. The procedure is suitable for batches of more than 30 specimens and it is possible to obtain a single result within 2 h. The betaines are extracted into an acetonitrile:methanol mixture, dried with anhydrous disodium hydrogen phosphate containing argentous oxide. The 4-bromophenacyl ester derivatives are formed using 4-bromophenacyl triflate as reagent, in the presence of solid magnesium oxide as base. The derivatives are separated by high-performance chromatography on a silica column, in a mixed partition and ion-exchange mode.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lever
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bason
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Leaver
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hayman
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Chambers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001622:Betaine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D002331:Carnitine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans; D007679:Kidney Medulla / Q000737:chemistry; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D001622:Betaine; D002331:Carnitine