Simultaneous Analysis of Chiral Amino Acids Produced by Intestinal Microbiota using LC/MS/MS

Introduction

Some of the metabolites produced by intestinal microbiota are constantly absorbed from the intestinal lumen and transported throughout the entire body. In recent years, it has become clear that the intestinal microbiota contributes to the preservation and promotion of the hosts’ health and attention has been focused on the relationship of the intestinal microbiota and metabolites with health and diseases. For this reason, it is extremely important to analyze the metabolites produced by the intestinal microbiota. D-amino acids are among the low molecular weight metabolites, and their physiological functions differ from those of L-amino acids. Amino acids have optical isomers (the D-isomer and L- isomer) and it has long been considered that only L-isomers are involved in the biological world. In recent years, however, it has been found that there are D-amino acids in the bodies of mammals, and their functions are attracting attention. To give an example, it is suggested that there is a relationship of D-serine with schizophrenia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed chiral amino acids in mouse colonic contents and blood plasma, using LC-MS/MS, and investigated D-amino acids produced by the intestinal microbiota.

June 3, 2019 GMT