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A rapid tissue extraction method for determining liver copper content by atomic absorption spectroscopy.
1Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Animal Health Laboratory, Private Bag, Whangarei.
New Zealand Veterinary Journal
|October 1, 1985
Summary
A new, faster, and safer method for measuring copper (Cu) in liver tissue was developed. This technique uses simple tissue extraction and atomic absorption spectroscopy for accurate copper quantitation.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Toxicology
Background:
- Accurate quantitation of copper in biological tissues is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring various health conditions.
- Existing methods for liver copper analysis can be time-consuming, expensive, and involve hazardous chemicals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a simple, rapid, and safe method for determining copper concentrations in liver tissue.
- To compare the performance of the new method with established techniques.
Main Methods:
- Tissue extraction of copper (Cu) using 8M nitric acid at 100°C for 45 minutes.
- Sample dilution followed by quantitation using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS).
- Comparison with a conventional nitric/perchloric acid digestion method.
Main Results:
- The developed method demonstrated a detection limit of 16 micromol Cu/kg liver.
- Mean recovery of added copper was 100.4%, indicating high accuracy.
- The new method showed excellent correlation (r² = .986) with the established digestion method.
- The new method is faster, less expensive, and less hazardous than the conventional approach.
Conclusions:
- The described tissue extraction and FAAS method provides a simple, efficient, and safe alternative for liver copper analysis.
- This method is suitable for routine clinical and research laboratories requiring accurate copper quantitation.
- The reduced cost and hazard profile make this method highly advantageous.