[Studies on determination of alpha-amylase with p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-maltotetraoside]

Nitrophenylmaltodextrins are alpha-amylase substrates which allow a continuous determination with a zero order kinetics over a period of at least 10 min, without deviations from linearity. Only one auxiliary enzyme is necessary. Practicability and clinical evidence of alpha-amylase determinations by means of p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-maltotetraoside are demonstrated. The interserial precision of 0.84% cannot conceal an only moderate correlation with previous methods. This fact, however, does not negate the advantages.