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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Measurement of Heme Synthesis Levels in Mammalian Cells
Published on: July 9, 2015
Quantitative determination of 5-aminolaevulinic acid and its esters in cell lysates by HPLC-fluorescence
Francesca Giuntini1, Ludovic Bourré, Alexander J Macrobert
1Wolfson Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
Abstract:
The development of a reliable sensitive method for the HPLC determination of 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) and ALA esters in cell lysates is described. The method relies on the quantification of a fluorescent derivative of ALA following its derivatisation with acetylacetone and formaldehyde. Following this procedure it is possible to quantify ALA in cell lysates with no need for pre-purification of the sample. The method has been validated in two ranges of concentration (0.6-65 microM, 0.1-10 microg/mL, and 30-600 microM, 5-100 microg/mL), and has also been extended and validated for the determination of ALA released from ALA prodrugs after acidic hydrolysis.

