Micro-determination of L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase activity

Highly sensitive assay method of L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase (GLO) was constructed. In this method, L-ascorbic acid formed in the enzymatic reaction was converted to its bis(dinitrophenyl)hydrazone derivative, and the amount of the latter was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Twenty picomoles of ascorbic acid was detected, which makes this method 25 times more sensitive than the previously used dipyridyl one. By the present method, a minute activity of GLO in liver microsomes prepared from rats of the Osteogenic Disorder Shionogi strain (ODS-od/od) could be measured.