title: A convenient spectrophotometric assay for the determination of L-ergothioneine in blood.
abstract: 1. A convenient spectrophotometric assay for the determination of l-ergothioneine in solution including deproteinized blood haemolysate was developed. 2. The method consists of deproteinization by heat precipitation and Cu(2+)-catalysed oxidation of thiols such as glutathione and of l-ascorbic acid, both in alkaline media, and titration of l-ergothioneine (which is not oxidized under these conditions) by its virtually instantaneous reaction with 2,2'-dipyridyl disulphide at pH1. 3. This method and the results obtained with it for the analysis of human, horse, sheep and pig blood are compared with existing methods of l-ergothioneine analysis and the results obtained thereby.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003300:Copper; D004880:Ergothioneine / Q000097:blood*; D006736:Horses; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D008722:Methods; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012756:Sheep; D013045:Species Specificity; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D004880:Ergothioneine