Development of an enzyme-based assay for acetaminophen.

Area of Science:

• Clinical Biochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Enzymology

Background:

• Accurate determination of serum acetaminophen levels is crucial for therapeutic drug monitoring and overdose management.
• Existing methods for acetaminophen quantification may be time-consuming, require specialized equipment, or lack optimal sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, rapid, and sensitive assay for the determination of serum acetaminophen.
• To optimize reaction conditions for enhanced assay speed and sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• Enzymatic hydrolysis of acetaminophen to aminophenol.
• Colorimetric detection of the produced aminophenol.
• Optimization of reaction parameters for sensitivity and speed.

Main Results:

• A new assay for serum acetaminophen determination was successfully developed.
• The assay is completed in under 5 minutes.
• The method demonstrates high specificity for acetaminophen and requires small sample volumes.

Conclusions:

• The described enzymatic colorimetric assay is a rapid, simple, and highly specific method for serum acetaminophen determination.
• This assay is suitable for routine clinical use due to its minimal technical requirements and cost-effectiveness.