An improved sample preparation for an LC method used in the age estimation based on aspartic acid racemization from human dentin

Abstract

The determination of age on the basis of aspartic acid (Asp) racemization in teeth is one of the most reliable and accurate methods to date. In this paper, the usefulness of HPLC coupled with fluorescence detection for determination of Asp racemization was evaluated. A modified sample preparation is proposed for better stability of o-phthaldialdehyde-N-acetyl-L-cysteine derivatives of D/L-Asp (due to the instability below pH 7). To ensure the accuracy of the method, the validation parameters' specificity, precision, linearity, and LOD were determined. Three dentin samples of premolar teeth, extracted from living individuals (bucco-lingual longitudinal sections of 1 mm thickness), were analyzed and quantitative results are discussed.