Liquid chromatographic determination of protein acid hydrolysate content in blended soy sauce

Five methods were investigated for the determination of levulinic acid in soy sauce to determine the addition of protein hydrolysate, mainly acid hydrolysate of defatted soybeans. Best results were obtained by using liquid chromatography (LC) with 0.004 M HClO4 as the mobile phase and bromcresol purple as a post-column reagent. An innovative LC method with 0.1% H3PO4 as eluant was developed for determination of levulinic acid at 280 nm in soy sauce. This was the most time-saving method.