title: Enzymatic method for rapid and sensitive determination of beta-lactam antibiotics.
abstract: A rapid and sensitive procedure for the estimation of beta-lactam antibiotics is described which makes use of the ability of these antibiotics to inactivate the R39 DD-carboxypeptidase. Depending on the values of the kinetic parameters which govern the reaction, the antibiotics fall into two groups. The lower limit for the quantitative estimation of the antibiotics of groups I and II is about 5 and 50 pmol/ml, respectively. The procedure has been adopted to biological fluids such as human sera and cows' milk.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D002268:Carboxypeptidases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008892:Milk / Q000032:analysis; D010400:Penicillin G / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002268:Carboxypeptidases; D010400:Penicillin G