Comparing Two Methods for Measuring Sugar Levels in Enzymes
Author Information
Author(s): Alexander V. Gusakov, Elena G. Kondratyeva, Arkady P. Sinitsyn
Primary Institution: M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University
Hypothesis
How do the Nelson-Somogyi and DNS assays compare in measuring carbohydrase activities?
Conclusion
The DNS assay often overestimates enzyme activity compared to the NS assay, especially for xylanase, β-glucanase, and β-mannanase.
Supporting Evidence
- The DNS assay gave 40-50% higher activity values for cellulase compared to the NS assay.
- For xylanase, the DNS assay overestimated activity by 3- to 6-fold.
- The DNS assay showed even greater discrepancies for β-glucanase and β-mannanase activities.
Takeaway
This study looked at two ways to measure how well enzymes break down sugars. One method often gave much higher numbers than the other, which could confuse scientists.
Methodology
The study compared the Nelson-Somogyi and DNS assays using twelve commercial enzyme preparations on various polysaccharides.
Potential Biases
The DNS assay may lead to significant discrepancies in reported enzyme activities.
Limitations
The DNS assay's overestimations make it difficult to compare results across different laboratories.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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