6-Aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidylcarbamate reacts rapidly with amino acids to form stable urea derivatives. The use of fluorescence detection techniques allows quantification of amines at pmol levels. 6-Aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidylcarbamate was used in a study to derivatize glycated amino acids with the purpose of developing chromatographic assays for their quantification. Glycation of proteins initially gives rise to early glycation adducts, then progresses to advanced glycation end-products, which are markers for conditions such as diabetes, cataracts, uraemia and Alzheimer's disease.