RP‐HPLC method with fluorescence detection for amino acids D/L ratio determination in fossil bones as a marker of DNA preservation

Only a small proportion of old specimens contain DNA that can be amplified by PCR. Therefore, rapid screening methods are crucial to identify the large fraction of samples that are so badly preserved that there is no need to attempt DNA extraction. In particular, the extent of racemization of some amino acids has proved to be a very useful proxy for DNA preservation. In this study, a rigorous method for the determination of the D/L ratio for aspartic acid and alanine by RP-HPLC with fluorescence detection was developed with the aim to obtain a fast and cheap procedure for both sample preparation and amino acids analysis, without compromising precision and accuracy.