Derivative Matrix-Isopotential Synchronous Spectrofluorimetry and Hantzsch Reaction: A Direct Route to Simultaneous Determination of Urinary delta-Aminolevulinic Acid and Porphobilinogen

Early and sensitive detection of delta-aminolevulinic acid (delta-ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG) is the cornerstone of diagnosis and effective treatment for acute porphyria. However, at present, the quantifying strategies demand multiple solvent extraction steps or chromatographic approaches to separate delta-ALA and PBG prior to quantification. These methods are both time-consuming and laborious. Otherwise, in conventional spectrofluorimetry, the overlapping spectra of the two analytes cause false diagnosis. To overcome this challenge, we present a two-step approach based on derivative matrix-isopotential synchronous fluorescence spectrometry (DMISFS) and the Hantzsch reaction, realizing the simple and simultaneous detection of delta-ALA and PBG in urine samples. The first step is chemical derivatization of the analytes by Hantzsch reaction. The second step is the determination of the target analytes by combining MISFS and the first derivative technique. The proposed approach accomplishes following advantages: 1) The MISFS technique improves the spectral resolution and resolves severe spectral overlap of the analytes, alleviating tedious and complicated pre-separation processes; 2) First derivative technique removes the background interference of delta-ALA on PBG and vice versa, ensuring high sensitivity; 3) Both the analytes can be determined simultaneously via single scanning, enabling rapid detection. The obtained detection limits for delta-ALA and PBG were 0.04 mu mol L-1 and 0.3 mu mol L-1, respectively. Within-run precisions (intra and inter-day CVs) for both the analytes were < 5%. Further, this study would serve to enhance the availability of early and reliable quantitative diagnosis for acute porphyria in both scientific and clinical laboratories.