2). As shown in Fig. 2, the absorbance intensity attained for each method was very similar, irrespective of the specific PHS method employed. This observation suggests that the extent of reaction GSK2118436 purchase in each microwell was comparable. The Masuko method was expected to yield higher absorbance values due to a rearrangement of the reagent addition sequence but these signal increases were not realized

[26]. Therefore it appears that previously observed sulphonated phenol-mediated attenuation was either consistent or insignificant. The precision of the reported PHS procedures differed significantly. Across the 17–500 μg/mL, the mean relative standard deviation (RSD) for the Saha, optimized PHS, and Masuko assay were 6%, 10%, and 22%, respectively. While the Saha method exhibited the best precision, it required the most material (i.e. 0.5 mL). The decreased reproducibility of the Masuko method may be due to increased sensitivity

to unintended variability in the time lapsed from sulphuric acid addition (i.e. the heat generation step) to the addition of phenol. In this work, the order of addition was found to be important with better precision observed when the heat generation step was the final step, presumably leading to a more uniform reaction temperature. A consistent reaction was SB203580 concentration generated by careful consideration of the factors affecting the temperature of reaction. In contrast to the method described here, which uses a polystyrene microtitre plate, a reduced signal was observed when the glass microplate was used (). This attenuated signal is likely due to the higher thermal

conductivity and specific why heat of borosilicate glass as well as the greater volume of material contained in the glass microplate relative to the polystyrene microplate. These factors presumably prevent the solution from attaining the high temperature required for robust reaction. The testing with glucose established that the modified PHS assay had satisfactory accuracy and precision. This method was comparable to the method of Saha et al. and was characterized by superior precision to the method of Masuko et al. [25] and [26]. The reproducibility was particularly strong for higher polysaccharide concentrations, which is within the dynamic range most samples derived from typical purification HTPD will likely reside. The greater simplicity, speed, and ease of automation afforded by the elimination of the discrete heating steps warranted further development of the modified PHS method. A diverse library of mono-, di-, and poly-saccharides were assayed with the modified PHS assay. The carbohydrates tested included glucose, α-lactose monohydrate, l-arabinose, maltose, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, sodium alginate, gellan gum, dextran, ι-carrageenan, glycogen, DNA, endotoxin, and N-acetyl neuraminic acid.