Quantification of amino acids in small volumes of palm sweat samples

This study investigates the significance of quantifying amino acids in minute sweat volumes using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Sweat, a valuable biofluid for non-invasive health monitoring, provides real-time insights into physiological changes. Amino acids, which are critical for various physiological processes, are key to protein synthesis and cellular regulation. Therefore, analyzing sweat's amino acid profiles can offer insights into metabolic states, exercise-induced stress, and potential biomarkers for health conditions. For sensitive analysis, amino acids were derivatized with 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F), followed by liquid chromatographic separation on an octadecylsilyl column and fluorescence detection. The developed method was validated and applied to human sweat samples, enabling the quantification of 14 amino acids. The most abundant amino acids in the samples were serine, glycine, and alanine, which aligns with prior studies. This method offers a non-invasive and efficient way to screen for diseases by detecting amino acids in sweat, even with minimal sweat volumes. The approach could also be used to analyze other biomolecules in sweat, expanding its potential applications.