[Sensitive method for continuous detection of peptides and proteins using the biuret reaction and a copper-Sephadex...

We describe a detection method relying both on the copper displacement from a Sephadex gel by peptides and proteins, and on the subsequent colorimetric determination of the complexed copper. The system described is fully automated and it permits a continuous analysis of column effluents. The choice of cuprizone as a detecting reagent for copper, enables one to bring the detection limit down to 200 ng for albumin and 60 ng for alanylglycylglycin. The specificity of the method is the same as the biuret reaction. Some examples of the possible applications are given.