New chemiluminescence assay for linamarin.

A new chemiluminescence assay was developed for the quantitative determination of linamarin, a cyanogenic glucoside present in cassava. The assay involved hydrolysis of linamarin by a specific enzyme, linamarase, to release glucose, which was then quantitated by a chemiluminescence system consisting of glucose oxidase-peroxidase-luminol. The new assay was more sensitive than the conventional spectrophotometric method for quantitating linamarin in cassava extracts. However, the following agents were found to interfere with the new assay: Vanadate, Mg2+, and Cu2+, were inhibitory to the luminescence of the H2O2-peroxidase-luminol system used in the coupling reaction, whereas EDTA and EGTA activated the system. In addition, Hg2+, which inhibits glucose oxidase, and Tris ion, which inhibits linamarase, both interfered with the new assay.