MCB Practical 2

Isolation and Characterisation of Caveolar Lipid Domains

Cholesterol Determination

Hydrogen peroxide is produced stoichiometrically to the amount of cholesterol in the sample. In turn, this hydrogen peroxide reacts with 4-aminoantipyrine to produce a quinoneimine dye ( due to the increased resonance path for electrons, this compound absorbs in the visible spectrum -500nm). Prior to these two coupled reactions free cholesterol is released from esters so that the A ring hydroxyl group is free for oxidation ( in serum, about 60-70% of cholesterol is esterified).
Allain CC, Poon LS, Chan CSG, Richmond W, Fu PC " Enzymatic Determination of Total Serum Cholesterol" Clin. Chem. 20 470-475 (1974)

Accessibility statement