Amino acids profile of sugar cane spirit (cachaça), rum, and whisky

An analytical procedure for the separation and quantification of 20 amino acids in cachaças has been developed involving C18 solid phase cleanup, derivatization with o-phthalaldehyde/2-mercaptoethanol, and reverse phase liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The detection limit was between 0.0050 (Cys) and 0.25 (Ser) mg L−1, whereas the recovery index varies from 69.5 (Lys) to 100 (Tyr)%. Relative standard deviations vary from 1.39 (Trp) to 13.4 (Glu)% and from 3.08 (Glu) to 13.5 (His) for the repeatability and intermediate precision, respectively. From the quantitative profile of amino acids in 41 cachaças, 5 rums, and 12 whisky samples, the following order of amino acids in significant quantities is observed: Gly = Ser < Cys < Ile < His < Pro = Asp < Asn < Tyr for cachaça; Phe < Glu = Gln = Val = Ala < His = Gly = Thr = Arg = Tyr < Asn = Ser = Lys = Pro < Cys = Asp for rum; and Ala = Asn < Trp < Gln = His = Met = Ile = Cys < Thr < Asp = Leu < Phe = Lys < Ser = Gly = Tyr = Val < Glu = Pro < Arg for whisky samples.