Development of a method for the determination of advanced glycation end products precursors by liquid chromatography and its application in human urine samples

A liquid chromatographic method with fluorimetric detection has been developed to determine the most abundant α‐dicarbonyl compounds, generated as intermediates in the Maillard's reaction, previous derivatization to high fluorescent pteridinic derivatives. Hence, the biomarkers D‐glucosone, 3‐deoxyglucosone, glyoxal, methylglyoxal, diacetyl, 2,3‐pentanedione, and phenylglyoxal were quantified using a gradient elution mode. The experimental conditions of the derivatization reaction and mobile phase composition were optimized. Linearity ranges (peak area versus α‐dicarbonyl compound concentration) from 1.0 to 100.0 ng mL−1 were obtained. Detection limits were comprised between 0.3 and 11.0 ng mL−1. The high sensitivity of the method allows the determination of α‐dicarbonyl compounds present in human urine, such as D‐glucosone, 3‐deoxyglucosone, glyoxal, and methylglyoxal, that are used as biomarkers, in order to investigate their roles in several diseases, with special emphasis in diabetes mellitus. With the aim of avoiding the interferences due to pteridinic compounds present in urine, a cleanup step with an ISOLUTE ENV+ cartridge was carried out. The concentrations of these urinary biomarkers have been reported as a normalized ratio to urinary creatinine, and determined in healthy and in diabetic volunteers, of different ages and sex. In all urine samples, standard addition and external calibration procedures were applied and compared.