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Ninhydrin reaction is a method to detect and quantify amino acids via ninhydrin coloration.
Amino acids reacted with ninhydrin reaction reagent are detected using two wavelengths, i.e., 570 nm and 440 nm.
The primary amine amino acid (α-amino acid) is colored purple at 570 nm, while the secondary amine (imino acid) amino acid is colored yellow at 440 nm.
Methods for amino acid analysis include precolumn derivatization and postcolumn derivatization employed by ninhydrin. Postcolumn derivatization is a method in which a sample is reacted with the derivatization reagent after column separation and transferred to the detector.