Using enzymes isolated from diverse sources to determine metal ion cofactors

Application of alkaline phosphatases from different sources in pharmaceutical and clinical analysis for the determination of their cofactors; zinc and magnesium ions

Prospects of using different alkaline phosphatases bearing zinc and magnesium ions in their catalytic and allosteric sites, respectively, in pharmaceutical and clinical analysis were demonstrated. Also their application for the determination of zinc in insulin to control injection quality and magnesium in human urine for the diagnosis and treatment of magnesium deficiency was shown. The reaction of p-nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolysis was chosen as an indicator. The choice of appropriate alkaline phosphatase was substantiated, the influence of the nature of buffer solutions on the behavior of the enzyme-metal systems was studied, and the conditions of the indicator reaction proceeding in the presence of sample matrixes were optimized. Simple, rapid, sensitive, and selective enzymatic procedures for determining zinc and magnesium based on their inhibiting and activating effects on the catalytic activity of alkaline phosphatases from seal and chicken intestine, respectively, were developed.

Enzymatic methods in food analysis: determination of ascorbic acid

The feasibility and expediency of enzymatic methods application in food analysis is demonstrated by the example of ascorbic acid (AsA) determination in foods. Enzymatic determination of ascorbic acid is based on its action as a second substrate of horseradish (HRP) and peanut (PNP) peroxidases in the reactions of o-dianisidine (OD) and 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) oxidation with hydrogen peroxide. The rates of the reactions are monitored spectrophotometrically by measuring the duration of the induction period on kinetic curves plotted in coordinates absorption-time. The proposed procedures are sensitive (c(L)=0.1 microM), simple, and rapid. The procedure using horseradish peroxidase and the reaction of TMB oxidation was used to determine ascorbic acid in fruit juices, milk and sour-milk products for babies' nutrition.